s te e l-blue ; lowe r p a r t o f th e ba ck a n d rum p de ep s ienna ; u p p e r ta il-c o v e rts b la ck , sometimes
w ith red d isli ends ; q u ills brownish b la ck glossed w ith du ll g re en ish b lu e ; ta il-fe a th e rs b rownish
b la ck , glossed above w ith g re en ish ste e l-b lu e , all th e fe a th e rs exc ept th e c e n tre ones h av in g a
la rg e white sp o t on th e in n e r web ; u n d e rn e a th fulvous white , profuse ly m a rk ed w ith broad
lo n g itu d in a l s trip e s o f d a rk b rown ; u n d e r ta il-c o v e rts w h ite w ith rufous' s tre a k s j u n d e r wing-
co v e rts d e ep e r fulvous ; h ill b la ck ; f e e t d a rk b rown : “ iris um b e r ” {J. S . Jame son). Total
le n g th 7-8 in ch e s, cu lm en 0-3, win g 4 '2 , ta il 4-8, ta r su s 0-5.
lo u n g (ty p e o f H . korthalsi. B p .). G en e ra l colour above d u ll b lu e -h la ck ; w ing-cove rts a n d q uills d usky
b la ck ish w ith a s lig h t gloss o f b lu e -b la ck , a ll tb e cove rts a n d q u ills w itli an obsolete tip o f sandy
ru fo u s , m u c h b ro a d e r on th e in n e r s e co n d a rie s ; lowe r b a c k a n d rum p pa le ru fo u s ; u p p e r ta il-
cove rts blue -b la ck , with san d y ru fo u s tip s ; ta il-fe a th e rs bla ck ish , w ith a gloss o f b lue -bla ck, th e
o u te r fe a th e rs o n ly a little e lo n g a ted , th e two o u te rm o s t w ith a lo n g p a tc h o f w h ite on tiic in n e r
w e b ; crown o f h e ad d u sk y b la ck ish , w ith san d y m a rg in s to all th e fe a th e rs ; nape , h in d neck,
a n d sides o f n e c k pa le san d y rn fo u s ; lo re s ashy ; sides o f fa c e and e a r-co v c rts d u ll san d y rufous i
cheeks a u d u n d e r su rfa c e o f bod y w hitish, broadly s tre ak ed with d u sk y bla ck ish o n th e tliro a t and
b re a st, th e s tre a k s be com in g m u ch n a rrow e r o n th e abdomen a n d b e in g ab s en t on th e u n d e r ta il-
coverts, which a re e n tire ly white ; flauks a n d sides o f body washed w ith pa le sandy ru fo u s ; un d e r
w ing-cove rts and axilla rie s u n ifo rm pa le san d y ru fo u s, tb e small cove rts n e a r th e edge o f th e wing
m o ttle d w ith b la ck ish bases ; q uills d u sk y below, more a shy a long th e in n e r web. T o ta l len g th
5 in ch e s , c u lm en 0 '3 , w ing 3 '8 5 , ta il 2 '2 , ta rsu s 0 '4 5 ( J /u s L v g d .).
Hab. S o u th -e a s te rn Afric a , ex ten d in g to th e Z am be si o u th e c a s t a n d to B en g u e la and th e Congo on th e
west. T h ro u g h o u t E a s te rn Africa to Abyssinia , r e o c c u rrin g on th e Go ld Coast.
You n g b ird s c an always b e to ld b y th e w an t o f th e lo n g o u te r ta il-fe a th e rs , th e rn fo u s tip s to th e wing-
cove rts a n d in n e r se conda rie s, th e rem a in s o f ru fo u s m a rg in s to th e dorsa l fe a th e rs, a n d th e
d is tin c t ru fo u s tip s to th e u p p e r ta il-co v e rts ; th e h e ad is also b la ck ish w ith taw n y ru fo u s edges
to th e fe a th e rs ; th e s tr e a k s on th e u n d e r su rfa c e a re also m o re d u sk y and less d is tin c t.
T h e following a rc th e m e a su rem en ts o f some o f th e spe c imens in th e B ritish Museum
Total length. Wing. Tail.
a . Ad. Cape C o a s t {Dr. G o r d o n ) .......................... . . . . 57 4-0 2'85
b. Ad. „ ( / / . T. U s s h e r ) .......................... . . . . 61 3-95 3-3
c. Ad. „ „ .......................... . . . . 5-9 3-9 2-9
d. Ad. (G. E . S h e l l e y ) .......................... . . . . 5-9 3-9 2'9
e. Ad. „ „ .......... . . . . 6-7 3 9 3'9
/ . c? ad. „ „ .......... . . . . 6 0 4-0 3'2
g . Ad. {T. E . B u c k le y ).......................... . . . . 6-0 3-85 3-2
h. Ad. L a n d a n a , Congo {L . P e t i t ) .......................... . . . . 6-5 4-15 3-6
i. S ad. „ „ „ .......... . . . . 6-2 4-05 3-45
J . Atl. Kin gw illiam stow n (II. Trevelyan) . . . . . . 5-5 4 1 5 2 '3
k . 3* ad. P in e tow n , N a ta l (T . L . A y r e s ) . . . . . . . 6-0 4-2 2-15
/. 3 ad. D u rb a n , N a ta l „ . . . . . . . 6-8 4-35 3-85
m. Ad. N a t a l ................................................................. . . . . 7 3 4 1 5 4'65
n . Ad. N a ta l (Mus. J a r d i n e ) ................................. . . . . 7-0 4-25 3-7
Total length. Wing. Tail,
in. in. in.
0. Ad. Tati [F. Oates) .....................................................................6'8 4-15 3'8
Ad. „ ................................................................................. 6-3 4-2 3 1
q. Ad. Shupanga {Sir J. K i r k ) ..................................................6'0 4T5 3-1
r. Ad. Kitui {J. m id e b r a n d t ) ..................................................7'6 4'25 5'85
s. ? ad. Mombasa (J. Hildebrandt)............................................ 6'0 4'05 3'4
t. Ad. Mombasa (T. W a k e f i e ld ) .............................................6'5 4-0 3-0
«. Ad. A b y s s i n i a ........................................................................ 6'3 4'2 3-25
V. ? ad. Dongolo, Tigre {W. T. B lanford)................................. 5'8 4 1 3T
w. ^ a d . Eayrayguddy ( f r . J e s s e ) ............................................. 7'0 4'25 3'8
X. Ad. „ „ ...................................................6 0 4T 2'8
y. ^ ad. „ „ ................................................... 7-0 4-2 3-85
As will be seen by the above measurements, there is great difference in th e length of tail-fcathcrs
exhibited by the series in the British JIuseum, and iu some specimens the long tail-feathers are so
produced and so narrow as almost to equal in extent the remarkable plumes of tbe Wire-tailed
Swallow [Hirundo smithii). This attenuation and elongation of tbe outer tail-feathers appears
to he a sign of age, aud the character is not confined to specimens from any one locality. Those
from the Gold Coast seem always to have ra the r shorter tails and also to have more rufous ou the
sides of the body and under wing-coverts.
ALTHorGH o f t h e s am e fo rm a s H ir u n d o c u c u lla ta , th i s sp e c ie s is c o n sp ic u o u s ly sm a lle r
iu h u lk , r i c h e r in c o lo u r, a n d m u c h m o re b ro a d ly a n d p le n tifu lly s t r e a k e d w i th b la c k on
th e u n d e r p a r ts .
I t wa s firs t o b s e rv e d in S o u th - e a s te rn A f r ic a b y D r . A th e r s to n e , n e a r G r a h am s tow n ,
a n d M r. E . L . L a y a rd a lso saw th e sp ec ie s in a u o p e n s p a c e n e a r th e f o r t a t C om m itte e ’s
D r if t in th e e a s te rn d i s tr i c t o f th e C a p e C o lo n y . I l e r e , sa y s M r. L a y a rd , “ i t w a s in
la rg e flo ck s, p e r c h in g fr e e ly o n th e g ro u n d , a n d w e w e r e a s s u r e d b y th e h o tc l-k c e p e r
t h a t i t h a d b re d t h e r e ; th i s we c o u ld e a s ily b e lie v e , a s w e s h o t b o th o ld a n d y o u n g
b ird s .” M a jo r I I . T re v e ly a n h a s p re s e n te d to th e B r i t is h M u s e um a sp e c im e n s h o t n e a r
K in gw illia ra s tow n .
W e h a v e re c e iv e d se v e ra l sp e c im e n s from N a ta l , a n d i l r . T . L . A y r e s h a s s e n t
a d u lts c o lle c te d in O c to b e r, a n d a y o u n g b ird p ro c u re d o n th e 1 1 th o f M a r c h n e a r P in e -
tow n . I t does n o t se em to .h a v e b e e n m e t w i th in th e T r a n s v a a l ; b u t th o l a t e M r. P r a n k
O a te s o b ta in e d tw o a d u l t b ird s a t T a t i , in M a ta b e le L a n d , o n tb e -Itli a n d u th o f O c to b e r.
M r . J am e s o n a lso o b ta in e d th e p r e s e n t sp e c ie s o n th e U m v u l i l l iv c r o u th e 1 s t o f
O c to b e r. H e s a y s :— “ T h is Sw a llow , w h ic h h a d j u s t a r r iv e d in sm a ll p a r tie s , was
im m e d ia te ly p a ir in g olT a n d c om m e n c in g to b u ild , b u t w a s b y n o m e a n s p le n tifu l.”
S p e c im e n s p ro c u re d b y S ir J o h n K i r k a t S h u p a n g a , o n t h e S h ir e l l iv e r , a r e iu th o
B r i t is h ¡Museum. I t w a s o b s e rv e d b y h im o n th o Z am b e s i d u r in g tw o su c c e s s iv e sea sons,
b u ild in g in th o m o u th s o f D e c em b e r a n d J a n u a r y in th e h o u s e a t S h u p a n g a ; i t w a s n o t
se e n e lsew h e re , a n d wa s a b s e n t d iu-ing th e d ry s e a so n .