lower parís, was obtained by Colonel Butler near Newcastle in June, and Canon Tristram lias a
similar bird from the Transvaal. "VVe have been unable to account for tlicse variations in
plumage, and arc uncertain wlietber they are simply the signs of the very old birds, or constitute
a melanistic variety. The Natal birds have more white on tlie abdomen than those from
tlie Cape; and one from the Zambesi lias tlie white ou the lower parts still more extended,
ajiproachiiig C. minoi- of North-eastern Africa.
J l r . Thomas Ayres says ;—“ Specimens with the miderparts dark, and entirely whole-coloured,
arc to be seen in company with the white-bellied birds, but are uot nearly so common.” Colonel
Butler belicA-cs that the dark-coloured individuals are immature birds, but we cannot see any
evidence of this in his specimens.
Young. Differs from the adult in having saiidy-riifous edges to the feathers of the upper parts, aud iu
having the under surface likewise washed with rufous.
Hab. South Africa, from the Cape Colony to the Zambesi.
A s f a r a s th e e v id e n c e a t o u r d isp o sa l goes, w c h a v e l i t t l e h e s ita tio n in c o n s id e r in g th e
p r e s e n t sp ec ie s to b e s tr ic tly c o n fin e d to S o u th A f ric a , a n d w e a n tic ip a te t h a t a ll r e f e r en
c e s to th e b ird s ’ o c c u rre n c e in N o r th - e a s te r n A f r ic a w ill u l t im a te ly b e fo im d to h a v e
b e e n in t e n d e d fo r C o tile m in o r .
T h e fo llow in g a c c o u n t o f th e sp ec ie s in th e C ap e C o lo n y is ta k e n from S h a ip c ’s
e d itio n o f L a y a rd ’s ‘ B ird s o f S o u th A f ric a ’:—
“ T h e C ap e B an k -Sw n llow is th e e a r lie s t c om e r o f a ll o u r m ig r a to ry Sw a llow s a u d
Sw ifts. I t is ra r e ly se e n f a r from w a te r, a u d b re e d s in th e b a n k s o f r iv e r s o r a rtif ic ia l
d am s , o v e r w h ic h i t c o n tin u a lly h aw k s fo r flies. I t la y s th r e e o r fo u r w liite e g g s , o f th e
s am e size a n d sh a p e a s th o s e o f o u r E u ro p e a n C. r ip a r ia , a u d th e n e s t is o fte n r u n to
t h e d e p th o f tw o o r th r e e fe e t in to th e soil, w h e n i t is loose a u d fria b le .
“ JEr. C aiv n cro ss, o f Sw e lle u d am , in fo rm s u s th a t , i f tb e w in te r is m ild , it rem a in s
a b o u t t h a t p a r t o f t h e c o u n t r y d u r in g th e w h o le y e a r. Air. J a c k s o n h a s s e n t it from
N e l ’s P o o r t . U c a lso s ta te s t h a t i t s ta y s w ith h im a l l th e y e a r ro u n d . AVe saw th is
l i t t l e sp e c ie s h aw k in g a b o u t o v e r a r iv e r in th e S tr a n d A'oldt n e a r Air. J . V a n d e r B y l’s
re s id e n c e a t m id -w in te r (e n d o f J u n e 1 8 0 8 ). AVe fo u n d i t b re e d in g a t th e B e rg R iv e r in
th e b a n k s in th e m o n th o f S e p tem b e r . AA'c a lso fo u n d i t b re e d in g a t th e ‘ C la y p its ’
n e a r G r a h am 's Toavu. C a p ta in S h e lle y Avritcs :— ‘ A t C ere s, in C a p e C o lo n y , I fo u n d th is
sp e c ie s A'cry a b u n d a n t , r em in d in g m e s tro n g ly o f C. r ip a r ia , from Avlrich i t s d u ll-c o lo u re d
b r e a s t m o s t re a d ily d is tin g u is h e s i t .’ T h e l a t e D r . B ra d s h aw in fo rm e d u s t h a t b e fo u n d
i t to be a c om m o n sp e c ie s on th e O r a n g e R iv e r , Avlierc i t is a n e a rly a r r iv a l a n d s ta y s
l a te . Air. T . E . B u c k le y o b ta in e d o n e sp e c im e n o u t o f a flock a t P ie te rm a r itz b u rg .
Air. T h om a s A y r e s g i\'e s th e fo llow in g n o te o n th e sp e c ie s in N a t a l :— ‘ T h e s e A la r tin s 1
h a v e n e v e r se e n o n th e c o a s t. I fo u n d m a n y o f th em d u r in g th e Avintcr m o n th s a b o u t
th e s tr e am s n e a r P ie t e rm a r i tz b u r g ; th e y o c c a s io n a lly a lig h te d to r e s t on tlie o v e rh a n g in g
re e d s , w h e re , I h a v e n o d o u b t, th e y ro o s t a t n ig h t , a s I h a v e f r e q u e n tly fo u n d th em th u s
p e r c h e d b e fo re th e s u n ro se . S om e tim e s th e y h u n t e d s in g ly , som e tim e s in c om p a n ie s ;
a n d t h e i r flig h t b e in g v e r y e c c e n tr ic , I fo u n d th em d iffic u lt to sh o o t.’ ”
C o lo n e ls B u tl e r a n d P c ild e n a n d C a p ta in R e id w r it e :— “ A p e rm a n e n t a n d m o s t
a b u n d a n t re s id e n t in th e n e ig h b o u rh o o d o f N ew c a s tle . I t p ro b a b ly b re e d s tw ic e , for
F e ild e n fo u n d a n e s t c o n ta in in g th r e e in c u b a te d e g g s in th e b a n k o f th e B uffa lo R iv e r,
o n th e 6 th o f A u g u s t, a n d i t w a s u n d o u b te d ly b re e d in g in t h e c la y b a n k s o f tb e riv e rs
a n d s tre am s n e a r N ew c a s tle in O c to b e r a n d N o v em b e r.”
Air. A y r e s w rite s :— “ T liis A la r tin is a s c om m o n iu th e T ra n s i'a a l in J u n e a n d J u l y
a s i t is in th e u p p e r d is tr ic ts o f N a ta l. T h e y a r e fo n d o f fo llow in g in th e c o u rs e o f a
r iv e r , s k im m in g a lo n g w ith r a th e r e c c e n tr ic f lig h t w i th in a feAv fe e t o f th e su rf a c e o f th e
w a te r .”
I n th e T ra n s v a a l i t is fo u n d a ll th e y e a r ro u n d , a c c o rd in g to Air. Ay res, a n d Avas
n o tic e d b y h im in th e L y d e n b u r g d is tr ic t. A s p e c im e n is in th e B r itis h A lu s e um from
S h u p a n g a o n th e Z am b e s i, w h e re i t Avas p r o c u r e d b y S ir J o h n K i r k a s i t Avas fly in g
ro u n d t h e s h ip in th e E l e p h a n t A la rsh .
T h e d e s c rip tio n s a r e t a k e n from th e B r i t is h M u s e um ‘ C a ta lo g u e o f B ir d s ,’ a n d th e
fig u re s in t h e P la te a r e draAvn from sp e c im e n s in C a p ta in S h e lle y ’s c o lle c tio n .