a s a p a r t from th e c o n t in e n t . T h e v a s t t r a c t o f l a u d c a lle d th e C a p e P la t s , to g e th e r w itli
T a b le B a y o n th e o n e h a n d a n d F a ls e B a y o n th e o th e r , q u ite s h u t i t off from th e m a in la
n d , so to sp e a k ; a n d to a id in th i s is o la tio n th e m a in la n d e n d s in a n a b r u p t p re e ip ito u s
w a ll o f m o u n ta in s w h ic h a r e o n ly to b e p a s s e d in o n e o r tw o p la c e s . D o u b tle s s th e
I’e n in s u la o f T a b le M o u n tir in wa s o n c e a u is la n d , a n d ‘ T a b le ’ a n d ‘ F a ls e ’ B a y s p a r t
o f a s t r a i t b e tw e e n . A s so o n a s th e h ills a r e r e a c h e d o n th e o p p o s ite s id o o f T a b le
B a y , th is Sw a llow o c c u rs ; a n d from Sw e lle u d am M r. C a irn c ro s s w r i t e s :— ‘ I t is v e ry
c om m o n , a u d b u ild s i ts n e s t g e n e ra lly u n d e r th e th a t c h o f a n o ld m ill o r s ta b le , w h ic h is
a q u i e t e r r e fu g e t h a n a d w e llin g -h o u s e ; th e e g g is sm a ll a n d w h i t e ; a n d t r a d itio n say s
t h a t i t d riv e s th e S p a rrow a n d lE o u se -Sw a llow ( I I . c u c u lla ta ) fr om th e i r n e s ts , o c c u p ie s
th em a n d b re e d s th e r e in . F o r th i s re a s o n i t re c e iv e s u o m e rc y fr om th e f a n n e r , b u t th e
e g g s a u d y o u n g a r e d e s tro y e d w h e n e v e r m e t w i th .’ ”
M r . L a y a rd a lso fo u u d i t a b u n d a n t a l l a lo n g th o ro u t e a s f a r a s N e l’s P o o r t ; tlie re
i t w a s b r e e d in g u n d e r th e ro c k s a n d u n d e r th e e a v e s o f M r. J a c k s o n ’s b a r n . T h e y
c o n s t r u c t a n o s t o f m u d v e r y s im ila r to t h a t o f H . c u c u lla ta , b u t w i th o u t th e e lo n g a te d
n e c k . T h e e g g s , th r e e o r fo u r in n um b e r , a r e p u r e w h ite : a x is 7"', d iam . 5'". l i e also
fo u n d i t b re e d in g o n t b e B e rg R iv e r.
O n th e O r a n g e R iv e r , D r . B ra d s h aw sa y s t h a t th i s Sw a llow is a n e a rly a r r iv a l,
n e s t in g in e v e ry h o u s e . V i c to r in procui*ed i t a t th e K n y s n a , a n d i t e x te n d s to th e
e a s te rn d is tr ic ts o f th e C a p e C o lo n y , a s M r. L a y a rd n o tic e d i t a t G r a h am s tow n , w h e re it
b re e d s . A s b e f o r e s ta te d , i t was firs t p ro c u r e d b y W a lilb e rg iu N a ta l , b u t w e h a v e u o t
o u rs e lv e s se e n a n y sp e c im e n s from t h a t C o lo n y .
I n th e E a s t e r n T ra n s v a a l, M r. A y r e s h a s se e n th i s Sw allow a t R u s te n b e r g , w lio re h e
p ro c u r e d sp e c im e n s in M a y a n d J u l y . l i e sa y s t h a t th e y a r c c om m o n in th e w in te r
tim e ill t h a t lo c a lity , k e e p in g fo r th e m o s t p a r t in p a irs . H e a lso re c o rd s o n e f r om th e
M a r ic o d i s tr i c t in A u g u s t , a n d h e s ta te s t h a t o n a g u s ty m o rn in g in M a r c h , 1 8 8 2 , a good
m a n y o f th e s e l i t t l e Sw a llow s a p p e a re d n e a r P o te h e fs tro om , a u d “ Hew w ild ly p a s t in th e
g lo am in g , a p p a r e n t ly in a g r e a t h u r r y .” T lie sp e c ie s w a s lik ew is e m e t w ith liy th e l a t e
M r . J am e s o n ’s e x p e d itio n o n th e U m v u li R iv e r. M r. T. A y re s , w h o a c c om p a n ie d
M r. J am e s o n , say s t h a t th e y w e re e v id e n tly b ro o d in g a t t h e tim e , a s th e r e w a s m u d on
th e b ills o f th e s p e c im e n s s h o t, l i e w r ite s :— “ T h e y e i th e r rem a in lie re d u r in g th e
w in t e r o r a r e v e r y e a rly in t lic ir m ig r a tio n , a s I saw th em in t h e M a ta b e le c o u u try in
J u n e , w h e re n o o th e r Sw a llow s w o re to b e s e e n .”
M r. A n d e rs s o n g iv e s th e fo llow in g n o te o n th e sp e c ie s :—
“ T o le r a b ly c om m o n in D am a r a L a u d , w h e r e th e y a r r iv e a b o u t N o v em b e r ; b u t on
th e O k a v a n g o R iv e r I h a v e se e n th em a s e a rly a s th e 1 s t o f S e p tem b e r . T h e y do n o t
s ta y a n y g r e a t l e n g th o f tim e iu D am a r a L a n d , in fa c t b a r e ly lo n g e n o u g h to r e a r th e i r
y o u n g .
“ I n D e c em b e r 18G3 a p a i r o f tb e s e b ird s to o k u p th e i r a b o d e in m y d in in g -ro om
a t O tjim b in q u e , w lie re th e y h a l f c om p le te d a n e s t a u d th e n a b a n d o n e d i t ; a n o th e r p a ir (a t
l e a s t I c o n je c tu re d t h a t th e y w e re n o t th e sam e ) a f te r a tim e c o n t in u e d th e l a b o u r ; b u t
fin a lly th e y a lso a h a id o n e c l th e n e s t w h ils t s till in c om p le te ; th e n e x t s e a so n , h ow e v e r,
i t w a s fin ish e d , p ro h a b ly h y th o o rig in a l p ro je c to rs , a n d th o p a r e n t h ird s sa fe ly b r o u g h t
u p th e i r y o u n g .”
I t h a s a lso b e e n fo u n d h y A n c h ie ta a t C a c o n d a in B e n g u c la , a n d is sa id to rem a in
th e r e th r o u g h o u t t h e y e a r.
T h e m ig ra tio n s o f th e p r e s e n t sp e c ie s a ro c e r ta in ly d ifflc u lt to u n d e r s t a n d ; a n d
M r. J . I I . G u r n e y h a s g iv e n th e fo llow in g n o te o n th e s p e c im e n o b ta in e d h y M r. A y re s
a t P o te h e fs tro om in iM a rc li:—
“ T h e s e w e re p e r h a p s a r r iv in g in T ra n s v a a l fo r th e s o u th e r n w in te r (s e c M r . A y r e s ’s
n o te . I b is , 1 8 7 9 , p. 2 9 1 ). T h o sp e c im e n s w h ic h I liav e re c e iv e d from T ra n s v a a l w e re
o b ta in e d in M a y , J u l y , A u g u s t , a n d O c to b e r, w h ic h s c a rc e ly a c c o rd s w i th th o e x p e rie n c e
o f th o l a t e M r . A n d e rs s o n , w h o , i n h is D am a r a -L a n d n o te s (p . 53), s p e a k s o f h a v in g s e e n
t h em o n th e O k a v a n g o r iv e r ‘ a s e a rly a s th o 1 s t o f S e p tem b e r ,’ a u d o f t h e i r a r r iv a l in
D am a r a L a n d ‘ a b o u t N o v em b e r,’ a n d o f t h e i r n e s t in g in t h a t c o u n t r y in D c o e n ib e r.
T h is d iffe ren c e o f h a b i t a s o b s e rv e d in S .E . a n d S.IV. A f ric a a t a b o u t th o s am e l a t i tu d e
is , I th in k , rem a rk a b le .”
T h e d e s c rip tio n s a ro t a k e n from s p e c im e n s p ro c u re d b y M r . S u r te e s in th e C a p e
C o lo n y a n d n ow in th e B r i t is h M u s e um , a u d th e fig u re s a r e d raw n from e x am p le s in
th e S h e lle y c o lle c tio n .