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iiy in g o v e r t h e A r n o in F lo r e n c e , b e tw e e n S. T r in i t à b rid g e a n d P o n te V e c c h io , w a s a
sp e c im e n o f tb i s sp e c ie s , i t s re d d is h r um p g low in g c o n sp ic u o u s ly in th e s u n l ig h t . I
saw i t a g a in th e n e x t d a y , to g e th e r w ith Chelidon u rb ica ; i t a f te rw a rd s d isa p p e a re d .
O u r c o lle c tie n p o s se s se s tw o sp e c im e n s , a m a le s h o t n e a r G e n o a in M a y 1 8 5 9 , a n d a
fem a le s h o t a t B a ri iu A u g u s t 1 8 7 1 . I b e lie v e t l i a t a few c o u p le s b re e d w i th u s .” I n
h is p a p e r o u t h e b ird s o f M a l t a a n d Gozo, M r. C. A . IV r ig h t o b se rv e s :— “ I w'as lo n g o f
o p in io n i t w o u ld t u r n u p in J I a l t a ; h u t i t w a s n o t u n t i l 5 th A p r il, 1 8 0 2 , t h a t I h a d th e
p le a su r e o f s e e in g it. O u t s h o o tin g w i th D r . L e i th A d am s , a t th e S a lin i, we d is tin c tly
re c o g n iz e d th r e e in d iv id u a ls , o f w h ic h D r . A d am s su c c e ed e d in s h o o tin g o n e . W e
n o tic e d a t th e s am e tim e II. r u s tic a a n d I I . r ip a r ia , o f w h ic h I s h o t tw o o r tlire e . A
s tro n g e a s te rly w in d w a s b low in g ; in d e e d , e a s te r ly w in d s h a d p re v a ile d fo r som e days,
to w h ic h w a s ow in g th e p re s e n c e o f I I . r u fu la so f a r to th e w e s tw a rd o f i ts u s u a l h a b ita t.
A d a y o r tw o s u h s c q u e n tly , D r . A d am s o b ta in e d a n o th e r s p e c im e n from th e sam e p la c e ,
an d saw s e v e r a l o th e r s . T h e r e a r e tw o sp e c im e n s in th e M a l t a U n iv e r s ity , e v id e n tly
t a k e n m a n y y e a rs ag o , b n t n o lo c a lity o r tim e is g iv e n . A n o th e r e x am p le o f th i s ra re
v i s ito r w a s t a k e n in A p r il 1 8 7 0 .”
P ro fe s so r D o d e rle in s t a t e s t h a t i t is n o t u n c om m o n n e a r M e s s in a , a n d L o rd L ilfo rd
b e lie v e s t h a t h e saAv th e sp e c ie s n e a r C a ta n ia o n th e 2 4 th o f ¡March.
I n A lg e r ia , L o c h e s ta te s t h a t i t is o f v e ry r a r e o c c u rre n c e , a n d M r. D r e s s e r is
in c lin e d to d o u b t tiie c a p tu r e o f th e sp e c ie s iu t h a t c o u n t r y ; b u t th e r e is n o q u e s tio n t l ia t
L o c h e h a d g ro u n d s fo r h is a s s e rtio n , a s i t is u n d o u b te d ly fo u n d in M a ro c c o . A sp e c im e n
w a s p r e s e n te d to th e B r i t is h ¡Museum iu 1 8 8 6 b y M r. K i r b y G r e e n , C .M .G ., w lio h a s
g iv e n u s t h e a c c om p a n y in g n o te :— “ A m a le b ird w a s k ille d a t M ’to u rg a o n th e s p u rs
o f t h e A t l a s , c lo se to th e p la c e w h e re ¡Mr. H e r b e r t W li i t e s h o t th e G e ro n tic u s . I
o b s e rv e d th i s Sw a llow in th e v illa g e s h ig h e r u p , a lso a lo n g th e c o a s t o f M o g a d o r to lialf-
w a y b e tw e e n l l a b a t a n d T a n g ie r . I t was n ow h e re v e ry n um e ro u s .”
W i tli r e g a r d to tb e sp o cies in G re e c e , w e borrow’ from M r. D r e s s e r ’s ‘ B ird s o f
E u r o p e ’ th e t r a n s l a tio n o f D r . K r iip e r ’s a c c o u n t :— “ I t is fo u n d in A c a rn a n ia , from th e
e x t r em e p o in t o f t h e V o ra s so v a M o u n ta in s o p p o s ite P a t r a s , a lo n g t h e m o im ta in - r a u g e to
t h e P h id a r i s (E u e n o s ) r iv e r , from tlie r e a lo n g t h e Z y g o s M o u n ta in s to th e A sp ro p o tam o s
(A c h e lo o s ); to th e n o r th n e a r th e h a r b o u r o f A s ta c o , in th e K l is s u r a , n e a r V r a c h o r i,
a n d fo u r h o u r s ’ w a lk from th e r e o n th o ro a d b e tw e e n P ro s to v a a n d C a rp e n is i. W e
f u r th e r m e t w i th i t o n th e P a rn a s s u s , n e a r th e v illa g e s o f Ai*achova, A g o r ia n , G ra v ia ,
M a r io la te s , D a d i, a n d m o s t c om m o n ly n e a r V c litz a . D o u b tle s s i t r a n g e s f u r th e r n o r th in
T u rk e y , p e r h a p s a s f a r a s D a lm a tia . I t c e r t a in ly in lia b its a lso th e s o u th e r n p o rtio n o f
G re e c e a u d th e P e lo p o n n e s u s . I t d o u b tle s s a r r iv e s a b o u t th e s am e tim e in A c a rn a n ia
a s H i r u n d o r u s tic a a n d I I . u rb ica . L a s t y e a r I saw th e I ir s t H . r u s tic a o n th e 2 0 th M a r c h ,
a n d tb e f ir s t II . u rb ic a a n d I I . r u fu la o n th e 2 6 th o f t h a t m o n th . T liey p r o b a b ly le a v e
in O c to b e r. I f r e q u e n t ly saw th em l a t e in S e p tem b e r o n th e P a rn a s s u s .” M r. S e cb o hm ,
liow ev e r, in fo rm s u s th a t , a c c o rd in g to h is e x p e rie n c e , i t a r riv e s a fu ll m o n th l a t e r th a n
th e M a r tin a n d C h im n e v -Sw a llow .
M r. W . H . H u d le s to n , in h is in t e r e s tin g a c c o u n t o f a n e x p e d itio n to M e so lo n g h i
a n d S o u th e rn iE to lia , w’l l t e s :— “ B u t th e g r e a te s t c u r io s ity o f a l l wa s to b e s e e n u n d e r a
la rg e f la t s lab w liich p ro je c te d e n o u g h to affo rd c o n v e n ie n t s h e l t e r d u r in g a sh ow e r o f
r a in . T h is w’a s a n e s t o f H . r u fu la , w h ic h h a d b e e n b ro k e n a t o n e e n d , a n d c o n s e q u e n tly
a b a n d o n e d b y t h e b ird . M e a nw liile a N u th a t c h h a d com e a n d re p a ire d t h e d am a g e ,
p o s s ib ly w i th t h e id e a o f a p p r o p r ia tin g th e n e s t. T h e d iffe ren c e o f t h e w o rkm a n s liip ,
a n d to a c e r t a in e x t e n t in th e m a te r ia ls , w a s v e r y a p p a r e n t w h e n th e tw o w o re in j u x t a p
o s itio n . I n sh a p e th e n e s t o f I I . r u fu la is so d iffe re n t from t h a t o f a n y o th e r E u ro p e a n
b ird , t h a t th i s p ro c e e d in g o n th e p a r t o f t h e N u th a t c h w a s s till m o re e x t r a o rd in a r y .”
N um e r o u s sp e c im e n s co lle c te d h y D r . K r iip e r n e a r Sm y rn a a r e in th e B r i t is h
M u s e um , a n d L o rd L ilfo rd h a s r e c e n tly p r e s e n te d to t h e s am e in s ti tu t io n th r e e sp e c im e n s
o b ta in e d b y D r . G u illem a rd in C y p ru s . I n P a le s tin e , w’rite s C a n o n T r is tr am , “ th is
h a n d s om e Swallow’ r e tu r n s a t th e e n d o f M a r c h ; p l e n tifu l e v e ryw h e re , h u t m o s t
n um e ro u s in t h e low’e r a n d w a rm e r p a r ts o f th e c o u u try . T lio u g h f e e d in g in flo ck s, I
n e v e r k n ew th i s b ird to b re e d in c om p a n y ; a n d v e r y rai*cly w e re tw o iic s ts to h e fo u n d
in o n e c a v e . T lie n e s t is a b e a u t if u l s t r u c tu r e , com p o se d o f t h e s am e m a te r ia ls a s th a t
o f th e H o u s e -M a r tin , h u t is in v a r ia b ly a t t a c h e d to t h e f la t su rf a c e o f th e u n d e r s id e of
th e ro o f o f a c a v e o r v a u l t ................ A f a v o u rite h re e d in g -p la c e o f I I . r u fu la is u n d e r th e
a r c h e s o f th e M o n a s te ry o n M o u n t C a rm e l. T h e e g g s a r e fo u r in n u m b e r , p u r e w h ite ,
c o n s id e ra b ly l a r g e r th a n th o s e o f th e H o u se -lM a rtm , a n d f l a tte r a t th e sm a ll e n d .”
C a p t. S h e lle y fo u n d th e sp e c ie s th r o u g h o u t E g y p t a n d N u b i a , b u t i t is o f r a r e
o c c u rre n c e . “ T ow a rd s t h e e n d o f M a r c h I c o n s t a n t ly saw’ a p a i r f ly in g o v e r a m a rsh
n e a r D am ie tta , a n d o u th e 3 0 th o f t h a t m o n th o b ta in e d o n e o f th em .” D r . A . B re hm
s ta te s t h a t h e saw o n e o n ly iu N u b ia , n e a r I h r im , o u th e 3 rd o f A ))ril, a n d m e t w’i t h it
o n a n o th e r o c c a s io n , in c om p a n y w’ith o u r C h im n e y -Sw a llow , in E g y p t . T h e l a t e B a ro n
v o n H e u g lin say s t h a t h e saw th e spocies in th e s am e lo c a litie s , n e a r D e r, a n d o n th e 9 tli
o f A p r il n e a r A u a h o , o n th e w e s te rn s lo p e s o f th e A b y s s in ia n H ig h la n d s . ¡Mr. W . T.
B la n fo rd o b ta in e d tw o sp e c im e n s a t K o om a y li in F e b ru a ry .
W e h a v e re c e iv e d a p a i r o f s p e c im e n s from ^ I r . A. J . V . P a lm e r , c o lle c te d a t B u sh ir e .
w h e re h e a lso fo u u d t h e eg g s . M r. B la n fo rd w r ite s :—“ I o n ly m e t wdth th i s Swallow
in S o u th e rn P e r s i a a n d p a r t o f B e lu c h is ta u . I t w a s m o re c om m o n n e a r S h ir a z th a n
e lsew h e re , a u d I n e v e r m e t w i th i t f a r t h e r to th e n o r th .”
A c c o rd in g to D r . S ev e rtz o ff i t b re e d s tlir o u g b o u t T u r k e s ta n , a t a n a l t i tu d e o f from
•4000 to 6 0 0 0 fe e t, a n d i t a lso o c c u rs in A fg h a n is ta n , w h e re th e l a t e D r . G riffith p ro c u re d
tw o sp e c im e n s n e a r P u s h u t, a n d C a p t. ‘W a rd law - llam s a y a lso m e t w ith th e sp e c ie s a t
B y a u K lie y l. T h e s e a ll b e lo n g to th e sm a lle r e a s te rn ra c e [H ir u n d o s c u llii o f S e eb o hm )
o f w h ic h C o lo n e l B id d u lp h s h o t tw o sp e c im e n s a t G ilg it o u th e lO tli o f M a y , am o n g a
la rg e n um b e r o f C h elid o n ca shm ir ien s is . D r . S c u lly say s t h a t “ it is a s um m e r v is ito r
to G ilg it, b u t n e v e r n jip c a rs to b e c om m o n .” 'I'lic s am e g e n tlem a n h a s a lso p ro c u re d th e
sp e c ie s in N e p a l, w lie n c e c am e M r. S e c h o h n i’s ty p e s o f I I . s cu llii.
I n 1 8 7 0 we w e re r e s p o n s ib le fo r th e s t a t em e n t t h a t I I . r u fu la w e n t to D a u u r ia .