C H E L I D O N N I P A L E N S I S
n i llA L A Y A N AIARTIN.
Jjelichon nipalensis, Ilodgs. Icon. ined. B rit. AIus., App. pl. xiv. (no. 9G3); Moore,
P. Z. S. 1854, p. 104, pl. Ix iii.; Horsf. & Moore, Cat. B. E. I. Co. AIus. i. p. 384
(1854); Swinli. Ibis, 1863, p. 90 ; Gould, B. Asia, i. pl. 31 (1868); llum e , Str. P.
1879, p. 84, 1888, p. 29.
Chelidon nipalensis^ Jerd . B. In d . i. p. 168 (1862); Gray, Haud-1. B. i. p. 74, no. 885
(18G9); Blanf. J . A. S. Beng. xli. p. 156 (1872); Dresser, B. E a r. iii. p. 199
(1875); Godwin-Austen, J . A. S. B. xlv. p t. 2, pp. 6 8 , 193 (1870); Sharpe, Cat.
Birds in Brit. Mus. s . p. 95 (1885).
H inm d o nipalensis, Seebohm, I lis t. Brit. B. iii. p. 179 (1883).
f7. caiidil q u a d r a ta : sube auda libus nig ris.
Hab. in subrcgiotic H im a layeusi usq u e ad proviuc iam ManipurenserQ.
A d u lt male. Gen e ra l colour above glossy blue -b la ck , with a s lig h t m o ttliu g on th e h in d ne ck and
m antle , produced l)y th e white bases to th e fe a the rs showing th r o u g l i ; u-ing-coverts glossy
blue-black like th e ba ck, th e imm a ry -co v e rts aud quills black, waslieil w ith glossy blue-black on
th e e d g e s ; rum p white , th e lower fe a th e rs b a rred with b la ck tip s ; u p p e r ta il-co v e rts glossy
blue -bla ck, th e basal ones white, tipped broadly with b lu e -b la c k ; ta il-fe a th e rs b la ck glossed with
s te e l-b lu e ; lores, fe a th e rs ro u n d th e eye, a u d ch in velvety h la c k ; cheeks, e a r-co v c rts, and th ro a t
glossy b lu e -b la c k ; re ttia in d e r o f u n d e r surfa c e from lower th ro a t downwards white, tho fe a the rs
on th e foi-racr p a r t slig h tly m o ttle d with bla ckish b a s e s ; flanks slig h tly washed witli smoky
b row n ; sides o f u p p e r b re a s t b lu e -b la c k ; th ig h s a n d ta rs a l plumes w h ite ; u n d e r ta il-co v c rts
glossy b lu e -b la c k ; u n d e r wing-coverts and axillaries blackish, glossed with b lue -bla ck ; quills
d usky below, p a le r a loug edge o f iu u e r web. To ta l leu g th 4-2 inche s, culmcu 0 '2 5 , w iug 3 ’(i,
t a il 1-4, ta rsu s 0-45.
A d u lt female . Similar in colour to th e male. T o ta l len g th 4 inche s, culmeu 0-3, wing 3 '4 5 , ta il T3 5 ,
ta rsu s 0 '4 3 .
T h e series o f specimens in th e llum e collection iu th e B ritish Museum exhibits considerable difference
as reg a rd s th e colour o f tho th ro a t and th e am o u n t o f b a rrin g o n th e rum p . Some birds have u
black th ro a t, and some liave th e th ro a t white, a n d we have n o t be en able to sa tisfy ourselves th a t
these differences iu th e colour of th e th ro a t depend on th e season o f th e y e a r ; for th e B ritisli
Museum possesses specimens p rocured in J a n u a ry , Ap ril, Ju ly , and from .-Vugust to De cember,
in no n e o f which c an we discover any sign o f v a ria tio n between specimens killed iu w in te r
and summer. T h e ne stiug-se a son is p robably th e same as th a t o f th e more n o rth e rn M a rtin s,
a nd th e m ou ltiu g -tim e (as shown by th e H um e specimens) is iu .Vugust and S ep tem b e r; b ut
2 G