h : ' li
H I R U N D O A T R O C Æ R U L E A , Sund.
B L U B SW A L L O W .
m r n n d o a t r o o oe n l e a , S u n d e v . OE fv . K . V e t. A k a d . F o r h . S to c k li. 1 8 5 0 , p . 107 ;
G u rn e y , I b i s , 1 8 0 3 , p . 1 6 2 ; L a y a rd , B . S. A f r. p . 65 (1 8 6 7 ) ; G u r n e y , I b is , 1868,
p . 1 62 ; G r a y , Ha n d -1 . B . i. p . 7 0 , n o . 8 22 (1 8 6 9 ) ; S h a rp e , P . Z. S. 1 8 7 0 , p. 3 1 3 ;
id . C a t. A f r. B. p . 4 6 (1871) ; id . ed . L a y a rd ’s B . S. A f r. p . 3 0 7 , p l. 9. lig. 1 (1 8 8 3 ) ;
id . C a t. B ird s in B r it. M u s . x . p . 1 49 (1886).
H. uropygio dorsoque concoloribus coerulco-nigris; capito dorso concolori; corpore subtùs omnino
cærulco-nigro, dorso concolori.
Hab. in Africà meridionali-orientali.
Adult. Entiroly glossy blue-black, a little more dusky uuderncalh; the shafts of the primaries and tail-
feathers white and very plain on the underside ; bill black; feet dark brown. Total length r t
inches ; of bill from front 0'3, from gape 0-5 ; wing 4'5, tail 4-0, tarsus 0 33, middle too 0-4,
hind toe 0'2.
Hab. The Colony of Natal in South-eastern Africa.
T h i s Sw a llow is v e ry e a s ily re c o g n iz e d from a l l th e o th e r sp e c ie s o f th e g o u u s m n i n d o
b y i ts u n ifo rm b lu e -b la c k c o lo ra tio n b o th ab o v e a n d b e low . I t is a n e x c e e d in g ly r a r e
b ird in c o lle c tio n s , a u d wo b a v e s e e n b u t tw o sp e c im e n s , b o th o f w h ic h a r e in th o B ritis li
M u s e um . O n e is from th o U m v u li E iv e r i n N a ta l , w h e r e i t w a s c o lle c te d b y th e l a te
P ro fe s so r YVahlberg, wh o w a s th e o r ig in a l d is c o v e re r o f t h e sp e c ie s ; a n d a se c o n d sp e c im
e n w a s o b ta in e d b y M r . T h om a s A y re s , a lso iu N a ta l , a n d w a s p re s e n te d to t b e M u s e um
b y M r . J . I I . G u r n e y . I t is a p p a r e n t ly co n fin e d to N a ta l, a s u p to th e p r e s e n t tim e n o
e x am p le h a s b e e n p ro c u r e d o u ts id e th e l im its o f t h a t colony.
M r. Ï . A y r e s s ta te s t h a t i t is th e m o s t u n c om m o n sp e c ie s o f a ll th o SwaUows in
N a ta l, w h o re i t fr e q u e n ts th o o p e n c o u n try , b e in g , a p p a r e n t ly , s o lita ry in i t s h a b its .
T h e y s k im w i th e a se a n d r a p id ity o v e r th o lo n g g ra s sy lu lls , a n d b e n e v e r saw th em
t a k in g a r e s t, b u t fly in g o n a u d o n , a p p a r e n t ly w ith o u t c e a s in g . H o b e lie v e s th em to b e
fo u n d in N a ta l a l l ' th e y e a r r o u n d , a s h e h a s s e e n th em in M a r c h , A p r il, A u g u s t,
N o v em b e r, a n d H c c em h e r.
I t w ill b e n o tic e d t h a t th e o u ts id e taU - fe a th e r in th is spocies is v e r y lo n g , a n d shows
a u a p p ro a c h to t h a t o f th e W ire -ta ile d Sw allow {IL. smiUiii).
T h o d e s c rip tio n is t a k e n from th e U m v u li E lv e r s k in in th e B r i t is h M u s e um , a n d
th e P la t e is d raw n from th e sam e b ird .