l y
Hub. Natal and Swazi Land in S.E. Africa np to Maslioona Land; West Africa, from Benguela to the
Niger; N.E. Africa, the Gazelle river district and Abyssinia.
T h is Sw a llow b e a r s a g r e a t re s em b la n c e to t b e y o u n g o f tb e ‘W ire -ta ile d Sw a llow
{ JU ru n d o sm ith ii) , wh ie li a lso h a s a b row n h e a d ; b u t t h e l a t t e r h a s t h e w h o le o f th e low e r
b a c k a n d r u m p b lu e lik e th e m a n tle , a n d th e u n d e r w in g -c o v e rts w h ite , w h e re a s in
I L g r is e o p y g a t h e r um p is b row n a n d tb e u n d e r w in g -c o v e rts b row n is h , e v e n in th o y o u n g
s ta g e . T h e y o u n g o f U . sm i th ii a lso sh ow s a s l ig h t in d ic a tio n o f th e w h ite s p o t o n th e
ta il- f e a th e r s , o f w h ic h th e r e is n o t r a c e iu I L g r is e o p y g a u t a n y ag e .
T h e p r e s e n t sp e c ie s w a s d is c o v e re d i n N a ta l b y th e l a t e P ro f e s so r W a b lb e rg ; b u t w e
lia v e n e v e r se e n a s p e c im e n from th i s C o lo n y , th o u g h M r. T . E . B u c k le y p r o c u r e d o n e
in Sw a z i L a n d . D u r in g Mi*. J am e s o n 's e x p e d itio n to M a s lio o n a L a n d , M r. T. A y re s
s a y s t h a t h e o b s e rv e d th e s e Sw a llow s o n th e Q u a c -Q u a c E iv e r iu O c to b e r, h u n t in g th e
tr e e s fo r t h e i r in s e c t food, b u t th e y w e re n o t p le n tifu l. S e n h o r A u c liie ta h a s m e t w ith
th o sp e c ie s a t C a c o n d a in B e n g u e la .
I n W e s t oiVfrica i t o c c u rs from th e C o n g o to t h e N ig e r, h a v in g b e e n m e t w i th by
¡M. l^ e tit a t M a y u in b a , o n th e firs t-n am e d riv e r , i n A p r il. H e b e s tow e d o n i t tb e neiv
n am e o f I I . p o u c h e t i ; b u t a s h e k in d ly s e n t a sp e c im e n fo r u s to e x am in e , wc w e re ab le
to d e te rm in e i ts id e n t i ty w i th t h e p r e s e n t sp e c ie s . T h e l a t e M . J a le s V e r r e a u x d e s c rib e d
sp e c im e n s from G a b o o n a s A t t ic o r a m e lb in a , a n d D u C h a illu o b ta in e d i t a t C a p e L o p e z
a n d o n th e C am m a E iv e r .
T h e l a t e M r . W . A . E o rb e s m e n tio n s h is h a v in g o b ta in e d a Sw allow a t E g g a , w h ic h
lie b e lie v e d to b e o f th i s sp e c ie s , b u t n o sp e c im e n s w e re iu h is N ig e r co lle c tio n .
M r. F r a n k N ic h o lso n , liow ev e r, h a s r e c e n tly p re s e n te d a n e s t l in g to th e B r i t is h M u s e um ,
w h ic h h a d b e e n o b ta in e d by a f r ie n d o f h is h ig h u p th e r iv e r N ig e r , a n d w h ic h we
id e n tify a s th e y o u n g o f th i s sp e c ie s . I n N o r th - e a s t e r n A f ric a , t h e l a t e B a ro n v o n
H e u g lin s t a t e s t h a t h e tw ic e m o t w ith t h e sp e c ie s in tw o v e ry d iffe re n t lo c a litie s , viz.
in J a n . 1 8 0 2 o n m e a d ow s a n d p a .s tu re -la u d s a t G o n d a r, a n d in t h e s am e m o n th in 18G4
o n th e s tr e am s w h ic h e x te n d from W a u to th e la k c -re g io ii o f th e G a z e lle E iv e r , in th e
s te p p e s . I n A b y s s in ia i t w a s m in g le d w ith flocks o f C o lile p a lu d ic o la a n d C ecropis
s en e g a le n s is, in C e n tr a l A f ric a o n ly w ith t h e la s t-n am e d sp ec ie s. T h e flig h t is sw ift a u d
g e n e r a l ly v ig o ro u s , a n d a t n o g r e a t h e ig h t. T h e i r n o te h e d o e s n o t r em em b e r to h a v e
h e a rd .
T lic sp e c im e n d e sc rib e d , a n d fig u re d in th e a c c om p a n y in g P la te , is iu tb e B ritis li
M u s e um , from G a b o o n .