T h e l a t e M r. M o n te iro p r o c u r e d a s p e c im e u in B e n g u e la , a n d A n c h ie ta h a s m e t
w i th t h e sp e c ie s o n th e C o ro c a R iv e r , a t C a c o n d a , a n d a t I l u i l l a iu M o s sam e d e s .
O n th e L ow e r C o n g o , P e t i t h a s f o u n d i t a t L a n d a n a in J a n u a r y a n d P e b r u a r y , a n d
D r . P a lk e n s t c in o n th e L o a n g o c o a s t. I t h a s n o t b e e n in c lu d e d in a n y o f th e lis ts of
b ird s from th e U p p e r C o n g o re g io n s .
T h e f ir s t re c o rd o f i ts o c c u rre n c e in E a s t e r n A f r i c a a p p e a rs to h a v e b e e n in 1873,
w h e n t h e R e v . T. W a k e fie ld fo u n d th e sp ec ie s n e a r M om b a s a . I t se em s to b e p le n tifu l
th e r e , a n d s in c e t h a t d a te in s ta n c e s o f i ts c a p tu r e h a v e b e e n m u ltip lie d . D r . P is c h e r
w r i t e s :— “ I fo u u d H . p u e l la a t M om b a s a in D e c em b e r, w h e re i t a p p e a rs to b re e d d u r in g
t h e d r y se a so n , v iz . from D e c em b e r to A p r il. D u r in g m y re s id e n c e h e r e in th e y e a r
18 7 7 , from M a y to A u g u s t , I d id n o t n o tic e th e sp e c ie s a t M om b a s a , a n d i t th e re fo re
s e em s to go som ew h e re e ls e d a r in g th e r a in y se a so n . T h e y w e re in th e lu ib it o f fly in g
r o u n d th e A r a b h o u s e s a f t e r th e m a n n e r o f o u r E u ro p e a n Sw a llow , w e re v e r y tam e , a n d
o fte n s e ttle d in th o in t e r io r o f t h e h o u se s , th e p o rc h e s o f w h ic h a ffo rd e d th em good
n e s tin g -p la e e s . I e v e n fo u n d a c om p le te ly fin ish e d n e s t u u d e r th e c o rn ic e o f a b a lc o n y ,
from w h ic h i t e x te n d e d iu a s l a n t in g d ir e c tio n o v e r t h e c e ilin g o f th e ro om . I t s l e n g th
w a s 21 c e n tim e tr e s , a n d a t th e b a s e a b o u t 30 c e n tim e tr e s , so t h a t th e e n t r a n c e was
4< c e n t im e tr e s in d iam e te r . I t was com p o se d o f l i t t l e n o d u le s o f c la y , a n d h a d no th ic k e r
l in iu g in s id e . T h is Sw a llow u t t e r s som e tim e s a so ft ‘ ziz i,’ a t o th e rs a h a r s h ‘ te n -.’ T h e
m a le s h a v e a lso a s h o r t so n g , w h ic h rem in d s o n e o f t h a t o f K o r s t e n ’s W e a v e r-b ird
{S ijco b ro tu s k e r s te n i), b u t is le s s o f a w’a r b le .” D r . P is c h e r a ls o m e t w ith th e spec ie s a t
P a n g a n i o n t h e 1 s t o f D e c em b e r, w h e re i t w a s a g a in n e s t in g in th e p o rc h e s o f th e A r a b
s to n e dw e llin g s . O n th e 2 t t h o f A p r il, a t N g iirum a n , h e fo u n d a c o lo n y o f som e t h i r ty
p a i r s o n a s te e p w a ll o f ro c k , a t t h e fo o t o f w h ic h a b ro o k w a s flow in g ; th e n e s ts w e re
e iip -s h a p c d a n d m a d e o f c la y , som e c o n ta in in g f r e s h e g g s a n d o th e r s y o u n g b ird s . N e a r
M a u r u i h e s aw th i s Sw a llow e n g a g e d in c a r ry in g l i t t l e lum p s o f c la y fr om th e sh o re s o f
th e riv e r. T h e e g g s a r e w h ite .
D r . n i l d o b r a n d t s e n t sp e c im e n s from K i tu i in U k am h a , w h e re h e m e t w ith th e
sp e c ie s in J u n e . l i e s t a t e s t h a t th e n am e o f t h e Swallovv in M om b a s a is ‘ M b a iin b á y u .’
D r . P is c h e r a lso p ro c u r e d sp e c im e n s a t W ito a n d B a raw a , a u d o n h is la s t e x p e d itio n he
n o tic e d th e sp e c ie s a t M s in g is s u a i n U s e g u a . S ir J o h n K i r k h a s fo rw a rd e d e x am p le s
from D a r-e s -S a la am , M a lin d a , a n d th e U s am b a r a H il l s , a n d D r . P is c h e r f r om B ag am o y o .
I n S h o a i t w a s p r o c u r e d b y S ir W . C. H a r r i s in J a n u a r y a t A n k o b e r. A n tin o r i
m e t w i th i t a t A m h o -K a r r a o n th e 9 t h o f M a r c h , a n d D r . lla g a z z i a lso o b ta in e d a fem a le
a t th e P a l l s o f P a r r é o n th e 1 9 tli o f M a r c h .
D u r in g th e A b y s s in ia n E x p e d i t io n , M r. B la n fo rd a n d M r . J e s s e m e t w ith i t in
T ig re , p r o c u r in g e x am p le s i n A p r il a n d M a y , a t S en a fc , D o n g o lo , a n d R a y ra y g u d d y .
V o n H e u g lin h a s p u h lis h e d th e fo llow in g n o t e :—
“ I c a n n o t s a y p o s itiv e ly w h e th e r th e S tr ip e d A b y s s in ia n Swallovv is a r e s id e n t b ird ,
b u t i t c e r ta in ly w 'a n d e rs to lo c a litie s w h e re i t n e v e r b re e d s . W e h a v e m e t w i th i t in
d iffe re n t p a r ts o f A b y s s in ia n o r thw a rd s a s fa r a s B o g o s in M a y , J u l y , A u g u s t , S e p tem b e r ,
a n d O c to b e r, a n d o th e r o b s e rv e rs h a v e fo u n d i t in N o v em b e r a n d A p r il. I t s lo c a litie s
a ro b e tw e e n 3 5 0 0 a n d 1 0 ,0 0 0 fe et, a n d th e y a ro sa id to n e s t o n ro c k s , lik e IT. f i l i f e r a .
B r e hm say s, in h is ‘ E o is e n a c h d em a b e s s in is e h e n K ü s te n la n d ’ (I l- ib e so h , p . 2 0 9 ), t h a t
th e p r e s e n t sp e c ie s is a house Sw a llow in b o th th o d is tr ic ts w h e re h e saw i t . I h a v e
n e v e r s e e n i t u p o n o r n e a r h um a n dw e llin g s , n e i th e r o n th e b a n k s o f t h e R o d S e a n o r
in th o E a s t e r n S o u d a n , a n d I d e s c rib e tb e n e s ts w liio h I fo u n d in th o B o g o s c o u n t r y
in h o llow s a n d c le fts a n d u n d e r p ro je c tin g ro c k s, w h ic h th e y re s om h le in c o lo u r. T h e y
we re c o n s tru c te d o f s a n d a u d e a r th , ü rm ly o em o u te d to g e th e r p ro b a b ly by a k in d ot
s a liv a o f tb e b u ild e r. T h e y re s em b le th o s e o f o u r llo u se -Sw a llow in sh a p e , h u t th e i r
sid e s a ro m u c h le s s massive', a n d e x t e r n a l ly m o re sm o o th ; s om e tim e s th o n e s t is q u ite
ro u n d . I fo u n d n o m a te r ia l a t a ll fo r lin in g iu th o in t e r io r , a n d th e n e s ts h a v e ju s t th e
a p p e a ra n c e o f p o tte ry .
“ T h is b ird is g e n e ra lly o lise rv e d in fam ilie s , e i th e r s i t t in g o n d ry t re e -to p s , o r
c ir c lin g a b o u t o v e r c a t tl e p a s tu ro s a n d r o c k s ; we o n c e m e t w ith a p a r ty n e a r th e snow-
l im i t , s a ilin g ro u n d h ig h p e r p e n d ic u la r cliffs. T h e v o ic e o f tliis sp ec ie s, lik e t h a t o f
I I . seuegale iisis a n d I I . m e la n o c r is sa , is a v e r y p e c u lia r m o hm c h o ly p ip in g ‘ t e r , ’ w h ic li is
o fte n re p e n te d s e v e ra l tim e s in su c c e s s io n .”
I n M 'e s t A f ric a th i s Sw a llow a p p e a rs to bo co n fin e d to th e G o ld C o a st d is tr ic ts . I t
w a s firs t n o te d n e a r C ap e C o a s t C a s tle h y D r . G o rd o n , w h o se sp e c im e n is n ow in th e
B r i t is h M u s e um . G o v e rn o r P e l p ro c u re d i t o n th e R io B o u try , a n d a s p e c im e n fr om
A s lia n to e iv as in th e G o u ld c o l l e c t io n ; b u t s in c e th e a c q u is itio n o f tlie l a t t e r b y th e
B r i t is h M u s e um , th e b h 'd in q u e s tio n lia s b e e n t r a n s f e r r e d to th o d u p lic a te s , a s th e
lo c a lity is tlio ro iig h ly u n t r u s tw o r th y . T liis s u p p o s e d A s h a n te e c o lle o tio n was b o u g h t
h y G o u ld from a d e a le r, a n d th e s k in s we re a l l o f t l ie o rd in a r y G o ld C o a s t ' m a k e ,’ a u d
wo lia v e n o d o u b t t h a t th e y w e re a u o rd in a r y lo t from th o n c ig h b o u i'h o o d o f Cap o C o a s t
C a s tle , O n t h e G o ld C o a s t, C a p ta in S h c llo y fo u n d th e sp e c ie s e v e ryw h e r e a b u n d a n t iu
J a n u a r y a n d E e h r u a r y ; a n d G o v e rn o r U s s h e r lia s g iv e n th e Ib llow iu g n o te
“ T o le r a b ly c om m o n in a n d a b o u t C ap e C o a s t a t c e r t a in sea so n s o f th e y e a r . I d id
u o t o b s e rv e i t u n t i l E e h r u a ry o r M a r c h , b u t c a n n o t p o s itiv e ly a s s e r t t h a t i t is a r e g u la r
m ig r a n t, A p a ir fre q u e n te d ' th e g ro u n d s o t G o v e rnm e n t H o u s e a t C a p e C o a s t d u r in g
t h e s p r in g o f 1 8 7 1 , b u i ld in g in a la rg e s to n e -a rc h e d t a n k a t th o f a r e n d o f th e law n .
T h e y a p p r a r e d , in c om m o n w ith m a n y A f ric a n sp ec ie s, to bo fo n d o f s i tt in g o u th e g r a s s
o r g r a v e l iu th e e a r ly m o rn in g . I h av o gonoraUy o b s e rv ed th em in p a irs , som e tim e s
s in g ly , b u t n e v e r in flo ck s.”
D r . R o c h e b r u u e h a s in c lu d e d th i s sp e c ie s iu h is ‘ P a u n a o f S e n e g am b ia ,’ a u d s a y s it
is d e c id ed ly c om m o n . N o o n e e ls e h a s e v e r m e t w i th t h e sp e c ie s in th is p a r t o f W e s t
A f ric a , a n d th e s t a t em e n t r e q u ir e s c o n f irm a tio n .
T h e d e s c rip tio n s a r e from s p e c im e n s iu th e B r i t is h M u s e um , a n d th e fig u re s in th e
P la t e h a v e b e e n d raw n fr om a v e ry fin e b i r d in th e sam e .