PETROCHELIDON SPILODERA [Sundev.]
SOUTU-AFKICAX CLirF-SWALLOiy.
Jlirioido spilodera. Sundev. (Efv. K. A^et.-Akad. Fdrh. Stockli. 1850, p. 108; Gray,
lIand-1. B. i. p. 70, no. 828 (1809).
Phedina spilodc}'«. Bp. Rivist. Contemp., Torino, 1857, p. 1.
Hirundo lunifrons, Layard, B. S. AiV. p. 5(5 (1807, nec Say).
Jlirundo alfredi, Ilartl. Ibis, 1868, p. 153, pl. i ; Layard, t. c. p. 213 ; Gray, lIand-1.
B. i. p. 71, no. 838 (1809).
Petrochelidon spilodera, Sliarpe, B. Z. S. 1870, p. 293 ; Gurney, Ibis, 187-1, p. 101 ;
Butler, Feilden, A Reid, Zool. 1S82, p. 210 ; Sharpe, ed. Liiyard’s B. S. Afr.
pp. 357, 839 (1884); id. Cat. Birds iu Brit. AIus. x. p. 108 (1885).
P . fasciii fro n ta li millft, lovis e t fro iite b a sa li ta iitu iii r iife s c c iitib u s : su b a la rib u s c t ax illa rib u s palliile
rufis c o u c o io r ib u s : te c tric ib u s lo n g io rib u s su p ra c au d a lib u s c t su b c au d a lib u s cba ly b co -iiig ris,
angustí* rufo apicatis.
Hab. in Africil m e rid io u a li.
A d u lt male. He ad d a rk b row u , o bscure ly glossed with g re e n ish blu e , lig h te r b row n tow a rd s th e n ap e ;
ba ck and s c ap u la rs deep blue , th e t'eatlicrs edged la titiu liu a lly with a sb y wliite , g iv in g a s trip e d
appe a ranc e to tb e whole b a c k , th e s c ap u la rs a u d wiu g -co v c rts ju s t I'a intiy edged w ith ru s ty
w liite ; th e lower p a r t o f th e b a ck blue, n o t m a rk e d w ith w h itish s trip e s : rum p and u p p e r ta il-
coverts p a le ru fo u s ; wing-covcrts and (}uills brow n ish b la ck , w ith a s lig h t blu e gloss on th e la tte r
and ou th e e x trem itie s o f th e q uills ; lo n g e r up p e r ta il-c o v e rts b lu c -b la ck , a ll b u t th e e e n trc ones
ru fo u s a t tlie ir ends ; ta il brow n ish black, also s lig h tly glossed w ith b lu e ; a p a tch o f fe a th e rs iu
f ro n t o f th e eye pale s ien n a ; checks, c a r-c o v e rts , and side s o f th e n e ck d a rk b lu e ; th ro a t s ienna
an d cove red w ith little b la ck spots, in c re a s in g iu size o u th e lowe r th r o a t ; u n d e r su rfa c e o f th e
body u b ite , washed o n th e u p p e r p a r t o f th e b re a s t an d o u th e flanks with s ie n n a ; a few sc a tte re d
b la ck spots on th e c b c s t ; u n d e r ta il-co v e rts a n d v e n t de ep s ien n a , some o f th e fo rm e r e n tir e ly
black, and th e o th e rs ru fo u s with a bla ckish spot. T o ta l len g th 5 '9 in ch e s, o f b ill from f ro n t
O'f, from gape 0 '(i, wing - I 'j , ta il 2 T , ta r su s 0 '5 , mid d le to e 0 '4 5 , h in d to e 0 '2 .
AduU fem a le . S im ila r in p lum ag e to th e male. T o ta l le n g th 5*6 inche s, w ing I--1.
Young. Differs from th e a d u lt in b e iu g sooty bla ek ish with sc arcely any b lu e g lo s s ; th e wing-covc rts
lik e tlic ba ck a n d u a rrow ly edged w ith pa le s ienna , more b ro a d ly o n tiie g r e a te r cove rts a n d in n e r
se eo n d a rie s ; rum p p a le s ienna , with which also th e u p p e r ta il-co v e rts a re b ro ad ly tip p ed ; quills
a n d t.ail-fcathers b la ek ish ; h e ad so o ty black, on ly s lig h tly p a le r th a n th e b a c k ; a n a rrow lin e o f
rufous a t b a se o f forehe ad a n d ov e r th e e y e ; ch.ccks, c a r-co v e rts , sid e s o f face, and th r o a t bhack,
tlie cliin m o ttle d with ru fo u s white , th e fore ucck a u d c h e s t also la rg e ly sp o tte d w ith h la e k ;