JU n a ic lo e r y th r o p y g ia (n e c S y k e s ), S c u lly , I b is , 18S1, p . 17, n o te .
I I i r u n d o s c u llii, S e eb o bm , I b is , 1 8 8 3 , p. IGS ; S h a rp e , C a t. B ird s iu Ib-it. M u s . x .
p . 1 5 8 (18 8 5 ).
H. u ro p y g io ru fo , p o stic c a lb ic an te , fasciam e x h ib e n te ; p ileo d orsoque co ncoloribus : to rq u e ccrvicali
ru fâ .
Hub. in su b rcg io n e M editc rran eo -P e rsic fi u sq u e ad m o n te s Ilim a lay e iis e s ot Asiam C cu tra lcm .
A d td t male. G en e ra l c o lo u r above glossy p u rp lish b lu e , with w h ite stre a k s on th e ba ck where th e wliite
bases to th e f e a th e rs show th ro u g h ; w ing-covc rts lik e th e ba ck ; b a s ta rd -w in g fe a tlie rs,
p rim a ry -co v e rts , a n d q u ills bla ck ish , e x te rn a lly washed w ith d u ll stc c l-b lu e ; rum p pale cimiamon-
ru fo u s , v e rg in g in to c re am y w h ite o n th e u p p e r ta il-co v e rts , th e lo n g e r ones o f which a re purplish
bin e w ith pale c inn am o n -h iiff b ases j ta il- f e a th e r s b la ck ish glossed with d u ll b lu e ; crown of head
p u rp lish b lu e , fo rm in g a c ap, which is sep a ra ted from th e m a n tle by th e c innamon-coloiirod sides
o f th e n e ck , which converge from beh in d th e eye to th e n ap e , whe re th e y form a c o lla r ; base of
foreh e ad a n d a n a rrow lin e ov e r th e eye c in n a rao n -ru fo u s ; ch e ek s and e a r-co v c rts pa le sandy
buff, th e lores m ix ed w ith d u sk y p lum e s ; e n tir e u n d e r surfa c e o f body p a le cinn am o n -b u ff, a
little d e ep e r on th e fore n e c k , b re a st, a n d flanks ; th e th ro a t very m in u te ly , and th e re s t o f th e
b ody a little m o re d is tin c tly , s tr ia te d with na rrow d u sk y s h a ft-lin c s ; sides o f u p p e r b re a s t purplish
b lu e ; th ig h s and u u d e r ta il-co v e rts c reamy w h itish , th e lo n g e r cove rts blue -b la ck witli creamy
w h ite bases ; axilla rie s and u n d e r wing-cove rts p a le san d y buff, th e cove rts n e a r th e edge o f th e
win g w ith b la ck ish sh a ft-lin e s ; q u ills d u sk y below, p a le r a long th e edge o f tlie in n e r web. To ta l
len g th 7-8 inches, cu lm en 0 '3 5 , wing I 'S , ta il I 'l u , ta r s u s O-ô.
A d /d l fem a le . E x a c tly like th e m a le iu c o lo u r. T o ta l len g th 7 '5 inche s, culmen 0 '3 5 , wing 4 '7 ,
t a i l 3-85, ta rsu s 0-55.
0/w. I n m any specimens th e erown o f th e h e ad ap p e a rs as if conn e c ted w ith th e m an tle b y a few p u rphsli-
blu e f e a tlie r s ; th is is , however, d ue to th e fa u lty p r e p a ra tio n o f th e sk in , a s in p ro p e rly p reserved
examples th e colla r ou th e h in d n e ck is pe rfe c t. W e have seen on ly one you n g b ird which ha s
also th is p a rtia l con n ex io n b e twe en th e crown and m a n tle , b u t we du n o t co n s id e r i t to be simply
a sig n o f im m a tu r ity ; fo r iu fa c t ra au y o f th e you n g b ird s have as well m a rk ed a co lla r as th e
finest o f th e ad u lts.
Young. M u ch d u lle r in c o lo u r th a n th e ad u lt, b e in g bla ck ish glossed with s te e l-b lu e , th e rufous colour
o n th e n e ck a n d rum p v e ry m uch p a l e r ; w ing-cove rts and se conda rie s tip p ed with pale ru fo u s ;
b e n e a th p a le r th a n iu th e a d u lt, th e th ro a t a u d abdom en wliitish, th e fo re ne ck ru fe s c e n t; th e
th ro a t and lire a s t w ith to le r a b ly d is tin c t d u sk y sh a ft-lin c s ; axilla rie s a n d u n d e r wing-eoverts
pale cin n am o n , r a th e r d e ep e r th a n in th e ad u lt. T o ta l le n g th G'8 inches, w ing I'B , ta il 3'2,
ta rsu s 0 '5 5 .
T h e ra c e which J l r . Se ebohm sep a ra ted as H. scullii from N e p a l differs in n o re sp e c t from tru e
H . ru fu la exc ept by its sm a lle r size, a d is tin c tio n wliich seems to be fa irly co n s tan t, b u t one
wliich wc now h a rd ly th in k re q u ire s th e s e p a ra tio n o f th e e a s te rn birds u n d e r a subsjieciflc title .
T h e following a rc tb e m e a su rem en ts o f th e wing in th e series iu th e B ritish J Iu s e um , and we
fully expe c t th a t co n n e c tin g -lin k s berwecu th e sm a lle st H. rufula ami th e la rg e s t H. scullii will
be disco v e red :—
J la ro c c o
Genoa .
Cyi.n.s .
Gre e c e .
Sm v rn a
ru fiilu .
<S-
4-85
4-9
/3. If. scullii.
Sex
unknowi
Tiberias. . . .
N a z a re th . . .
J i t . T ab o r . . .
J i t . Carmel . .
Bania s . . . .
W a d y E l B e c rlia .
B u sh ire . . . .
B a lu ch is tan . .
4-8
4-8
4-8
4-7
a. Pushut . .
b. „
c. Byau Khcyl
d. N e p a l. . .
4 - 1.-)
•1.-35
•I.-.-)
Hab. C o u n trie s o f th e J le d ite r r a u c a n from th e S o u th of F ran c e and I ta ly , A lg e ria and J la ro c c o e a s twards
to Gre e c e and A sia J lin o r , P a le stin e , and E g y p t, e x ten d in g soiitliwa rds to A b yssinia , and
e a stwa rds th ro u g h S o u th e rn P e rs ia to T u rk e s ta n , A fghanistan, a n d th e H im a lay a s as fa r as
N ep a l.
Tix ls p r e tty Sw a llow is a n in l ia b i ta n t o l S o u th - e a s te rn E u ro p e a n d th e c o u n trie s b o rd e rin g
th e M e d ite r r a n e a n S ea, w h e n c e i t e x te n d s e a s tw a rd s to th e H im a la y a s a n d T u rk e s ta n ,
a u d so u thw a rd s to A b y s s in ia .
I t h a s o c c u rre d o n c e in H e lig o la n d , a sp e c im e n o b ta in e d o n th e 6 1 s t o f Ylay, 1855,
b e in g in th e fam o u s c o lle o tio n o f M r. G a tk c . I t s o c c u rre n c o in E n g l a n d h a s a lso b e e n
n o te d , o n e h a v in g b e e n r e p o rte d a s s e e n a t P e n z a n c e b y tb e l a t e Ylr. llo d d {cf. B . O. U.
L i s t B r, B . p . 4 3 ).
I n t h e M e d ite r r a n e a n o o u n trie s th i s Swallow h a s n o t b e e n re c o rd e d from S p a in , o r
from C o rs ic a o r S a rd in ia . M M . J a u b e r t a n d B a rtb e lem y -L a p om m e r a y e re c o rd th e
c a p tu r e o f s e v e ra l s p e e iin e n s in th e S o u th o f E ra n c e .
C o u n t S a lv a d o ri’s n o te o n th e sp e c ie s in I t a l y is a s fo llow s A r a r e b ird , o f
w h ic h sp e c im e n s a r e c a p tu r e d in c e r ta in y e a rs in th o B a r i d is tr ic t, in S ic ily , a n d in
L i g u r i a ; it is a lso s a id to bo fo u n d in M a lta , in T u s c a n y , a n d in P ie dm o n t. T h e n e s tin g
o f th e spec ie s o n th o o ld tem p le o f S e g c s ta in S ic ily h a s s t il l to b e v c r ilic d .” F ro fe s so r
G ig lio li w r ite s “ A r a r i ty w ith u s, a n d o c c u r r in g le s s f r e q u e n t ly a t G e n o a a n d a t B a ri,
a s fa r a s m v iiifo rin a tio n goes. O n th e 3 5 th o f M a r c h , 1 8 7 7 . t h e firs t Swallow 1 saw