with p a le s i e n n a ; u n d e r ta il-c o v e rts white , with very d is tin c t sh a f t- s tr ip c s ; “ bill h la ck ; fe e t
d a rk b rown j ir is b ro w n ” {Shelley). T o ta l le n g th "-8 inche s, cu lm eu 0-35, w ing 5 T , ta il 4-1,
ta r su s 0-6.
Th e a d u lt female re semble s th e male in colour, b u t is a trifle sm a lle r, and less rich ly colo u red on th e
head aud rum p . T o ta l le n g th 6 '5 inches, c u h n c n 0 '3 5 , wing 4 '8 5 , ta il 3 '7 , ta rsu s O'G.
T h e females aud y o u n g h ird s a re p a le r u n d e rn e a th , a n d thei-c is less o f th e fulvous tin g e which is seen
in th e o ld males.
Young. H e ad d a rk b row n ish s ien n a , very pale o n th e sides o f th e n e ck , th e base o f th e f e a th e rs consp
icu o u sly showing, so tb a t a q u a n tity o f b luc -bla ck diamoud-sliapcd m a rk s ap p e a r on th e h e a d ;
ba ck a n d sc apula rs s te e l-b lu e , with th e white edgings to th e fe a the rs showing conspicuously on
th e up p e r p a r t o f th e h a c k ; w ing-covc rts bla ck ish b row n , edged a t th e tip w ith p a le s ie n n a ;
qu ills b la ck ish brown, glossed with deep g re en ish s te c l-bluc , tlie se conda rie s tip p ed w ith pale
s ie n n a ; rum p p a le sienna, th e white e d g in g to th e rum p n o t very d is tin c t, th e sh a fts o f all th e
fe a th e rs c le a rly d e f in e d ; tb e blue u p p e r ta il-co v e rts edged w ith s ie n n a ; ta il bla ckish hrown,
glossed above with deep g re en ish ste c l-h ln c , th e o u te r fe a th e rs n o t very lo n g , h u t h a v in g th e wiiitc
spot on th e in n e r web ve ry la rg e , as in th e ad u lt, d e c re a sin g in size as i t ap proa che s th e two
c en tre feathcre, which a re u n sp o tte d ; u n d e r s u rfa c e of th e b ody white tin g e d w ith fulvous, d eepest
on th e flanks and a b d om e n ; th e sh a fts o f th e fe a th e rs very b ro ad and p la in, h u t th ic k e r an d n ot
g iving such a s triped ap pe a ranc e iu th e a d u l t ; bill d a rk bi-own; legs flesh-colour.
Hab. S o u th A fric a , th ro u g h o u t th e Cape Colony to N a ta l, th e T rau sv a a l, an d M a teb c lc L aud. Ou th e
we ste rn side o f th e co n tin e n t in D am a ra L a u d aud Mossamedes.
T h i s fin e Sw a llow , a s f a r a s w e y e t k n ow , is p e c u l ia r to th e S o u th -A fr ic a n re g io n , a n d is
e a s ily d i s tin g u is h e d from a l l th e o th e r ru fo u s -rum p e d sp e c ie s o f th e g e n u s I I ir u n d o h y
its ru f o u s h e a d . T h e o n ly o th e r sp e c ie s w h ic h e x h ib its th i s c h a r a c t e r is I I . p u e l la , a
m u c h sm a lle r b ird w i th v e r y b ro a d s tre a k s o n th e u u d e r su rf a c e . I t a p p e a r s to v is it th e
C a p e C o lo n y from A u g u s t t i l l M a y , b u t w h e re i t g o e s to d u r in g th e o tlie r m o n th s o f th e
y e a r h a s n o t b e e n d isco v e red .
'Six. E . L . L a y a rd sa y s t h a t i t a r riv e s in th e w e s te rn p a r t o f t h e C ap e C o lo n y a b o u t
th e e n d o f A u g u s t o r th e b e g in n in g o f S e p tem b e r , b u t is s om ew h a t i r r e g u l a r a s re g a rd s
i t s a d v e n t. T h u s , iu 1 8 6 8 h e o b s e rv e d th e firs t a t U itk e k , n e a r C a p e T ow n , o n t h e 2 9 tli
o f A u g u s t , b u t in th e s u c c e e d in g y e a r th e firs t h ird w a s n o tic e d b y h im a t G r e e n P o in t,
n e a r C a p e T ow n , o n th e 1 9 tb o f S e p tem b e r , a n d M r. A tm o rc saw i t a t G e o rg e fo r th e
firs t t im e o n th e p re v io u s d ay . V i c to r in re c o rd s i t from th e K n y s n a d i s tr i c t as o c c u rrin g
fr om S e p tem b e r to M a r c h , a n d h e b e lie v e s t h a t i t r em a in s th e r e t i ll A p r il. T h e l a te
D r . B radsha -w in fo rm e d u s t h a t i t w a s s c a rc e a lo n g tb e O r a n g e B iv e r , b u t p le n tifu l
f u r th e r s o u th in tb e C o lo n y ; h e fo u n d i t n e s t in g a t I l e n h a r d t , a v illa g e s e v e n ty mile s
s o u tli o f th e O r a n g e R iv e r.
T h e d is lik e e n te r ta in e d b y th e in h a b i t a n t s o f S o u th A f ric a to th e s l a u g h t e r o f tliis
h ird d o u b tle s s a c c o u n ts fo r i t s r a r i ty in c o lle c tio n s a t h om e , a u d th e o n ly s p e c im e n we
h a v e se e n from th e e a s te rn d is tr i c t s o f th e C a p e C o lo n y is o n e in th e B r i t is h M u s e um ,
o b ta in e d b y C a p t. T re v e ly a n a t K in g v v iiliam s tow n . D r . I l o l u b re c o rd s i t fr om th e
O r a n g e F r e e S ta te .
I n N a ta l, a c c o rd in g to C a p ta in S h e lle y , i t is v e ry c om m o n , a r r iv in g , a s w e a r e in fo
rm e d by M r. T h om a s A y r e s , in O c to b e r o r N o v em b e r, a n d le a v in g a g a in in M a r c h o r
A p r il. W e h a v e re c e iv e d m a n y sp e c im e n s from M r. T. L . A y re s , w h o p ro c u re d th em in
th e n e ig h b o u rh o o d o f P in c tow n . M a jo rs B u tl e r a u d F e ild e n a u d C a p ta in R e id s t a t e t h a t
n e a r N ew c a s tle i t a r r iv e d r a th e r l a t e r th a n I I . a lb ig u la r is , b e in g s e e n o n th e 2 2 n d o f
O c to b e r, w h e n i t b e c am e v e ry a b u n d a n t a n d n e s te d .
M r. T liom a s A y re s h a s a lso m e t w ith th e sp e c ie s in th e T ra n s v a a l, n e a r P o te h e fs tro om ,
a n d a lso in th e L y d e n b u r g d is tr ic t, a n d th e l a te M r. F r a n k O a te s p ro c u r e d a sp e c im e n
a t T a ti, in th e M a ta b e le c o u n try , in O c to b e r. D r. I lo lu b s ta te s t h a t i t o c c u rs th r o u g h o
u t B e c h u a n a L a u d a s f a r a s t h e Z am b e s i ; a n d M r. A y r e s saw i t in M u sh o o u a L a n d in
S e p tem b e r , O c to b e r, a n d D e c em b e r, b u t p r o c u r e d n o sp e c im e n s .
O n tb e w e s te rn s id e o f th e S o u th -A f r ic a n re g io n , S e n h o r A n c h ie t a h a s fo rw a rd e d i t
from I l u i l l a a n d th e C o ro c a R iv e r in M o s sam e d e s , b u t d id u o t m e e t w i th i t d u r in g h is
so jo u rn o n th e C u n e n e R iv e r. T h e l a t e C. J . A n d e rs s o n , liow ev e r, p ro c u re d i t i n D am a r a
L a n d , w h e re , h e s a y s , i t is n o t v e ry com m o n , u s u a lly a r r iv in g l a t e r th a n H i r u n d o d im id ia ta .
L o fc b v re h a s s ta te d t h a t h e m e t w ith th e sp e c ie s in A b y s s in ia n e a r A d o w a ; b u t wc
a g r e e w ith th e l a t e B a ro n v o n I l e u g l i n t h a t its a c tu a l o c c u rre n c e is e x trem e ly d o u b tfu l.
M r. L a y a rd g iv e s tb e fo llow in g n o te s o u th e h a b i t s o f th i s sp e c ie s :— “ T h is is th e
h o u s e h o ld Sw a llow o f th e co lo n y , b r e e d in g fr e e ly a b o u t th e h o u se s a n d i n th e c o u n t r y ,
o fte n s e le c tin g th e u s u a l liv in g - ro om o f t h e fam ily . I n th e c i ty th i s f am ilia r ity is n o t
p e rm i t t e d , o n a c c o u n t o f th e d i r t m a d e b y th e b ird s ; b u t th e B o e r fixes u p a b o a r d u n d e r
th e n e s t, to p r e v e n t th e w o r s t fo u lin g , a u d c o n s id e r s t h a t th e r e s t is a to n e d lo r b y th e
d e s tru c tio n o f th e m y r ia d s o f flics, o f w h ic h h is l i tt l e fa v o u rite s r id h im d u r in g th e se a so n
o f tlu iir s ta v . A n d o n ly th o s e w h o h a v e s o jo u rn e d in a B o e r s h o u s e c a n e s t im a t e th e
p la g u e o f flies t h a t in fe s t i t : th e y sw a rm o n “ b e d a n d b o a r d ; ” th e y p o l lu te th e food
a n d d r i n k ; c h a irs , ta b le s , w a lls , e v e ry th in g is b la c k e n e d b y th em . N o w o n d e r, tlie n ,
t h a t t h e Swallow is a w e lc om e g u e s t, a n d t h a t to ro b h is n e s t is to g e t in to th e b a d
b o o k s o f e v e ry m em b e r o f tlie fam ily .
“ A s y o u s it a t m e a ls , th e g ra c e fu l h ird h aw k s o v e r th e ta b le , a n d s n a tc h e s th e flies
from th e w a lls a n d c e ilin g ; n o r is tliis t h e o n ly s e rv ic e h e re n d e rs , fo r , s i tt in g o n th e to p
o f tlie w in d ow o r d o o r (a lw ay s le ft o p e n fo r h is a c c om m o d a tio n ), h e p o u r s o u t a s lio r t b u t
liv e ly so n g , Avliicli e n liv e n s th e d re a ry s o litu d e a n d s ile n c e o f th e lo n e h om e s te a d .
“ Tlie n e s t o f th is sp e e ie s is a lw a y s a t t a c h e d to th e u n d e r s id e o f th e p la c e c h o s e n , a n d
is c om p o sed o f l i tt l e p e lle ts o f m u d , lik e t h a t o f th e E n g l i s h SwaUow. I n sh a p e i t r e sem
b le s a g o u rd w ith a lo n g n e c k , c u t th r o u g h lo n g itu d in a lly a n d g lu e d u p b y th e ed g e s
to th e c e ilin g . T lie e g g s a ro fo u r o r five a n d p u r e w h i t e : a x is , 1 0 '" ; d iam . 6"'.
“ T h e Kov. J o h n F r y , o f R o n d e b o s c h , o n c e re la t e d to u s a s in g u la r in s ta n c e o f th e
re a s o n in g p ow e rs o f th i s Sw allow. T h e tu b e o f a n e s t in h is b a th -ro om f e ll d ow n , a n d
w a s u o t re p la c e d b y th e o ld b ird s , wh o h a d b r o u g h t u p th e i r y o u n g , t i l l w i th in a few