LG
yellow, e x te n d in g o n to tlie th ig h s e n d v e n t ; u n d e r ta il-co v e rts w hite , th e ba sa l ones with a
tin g e o f y ellow, th e lo n g o ne s w ith a b ro a d su h tc rin iiia l b a r o f b la c k ish lirow n ; axilla rie s brown ;
u n d e r wing-covc rts b rown, w ith ru fo u s edges to th e f e a th e r s ; q u ills d iisk v b la ekish bclow ; “ b ill
a n d legs b row n ish b la c k , th e la tte r so in c tim c s p a le r b rown o r flc sh -co lo iir; iris g rey ish h rown ’’
(N e uw ie d ). T o ta l le u g th 4.-9 in c h e s , c u lm en 0 '3 ñ , wing i 'i, ta il 2 '2 , ta r su s O'd.
A d u lt fem a le . S im ila r to th e mole in co lo u r, b u t w ith o u t th e s e rra tio n s o n th e o u te r edge o f th o o u te r
web. T o ta l le n g th -ko in ch e s , cu lm en 0-35, wiu g 3-7, ta il 1-9, ta rsu s O k .
T h e sc rie s from d iffe ren t p a r ts o f S o u th Am e ric a in th e lir itis h M u s eum shows th a t ve ry little
v a ria tio n ta k e s p lace in in d iv id u a ls from th e v a rious c o u n trie s in h a b ite d b y th e species. Tlie
brown colour o f th e u p p e r su rfa c e is d e ep e r in some b ird s th a n i t is in o th e rs , h u t th is may be
d ue to age. O n tlic whole , however, s o u th e rn b ird s a rc d a rk e r th a n n o r th e rn ones, a nd tlie palest
o f a ll a r e tho spe c imens from R o ra im a , wh ich have a decidedly lig h te r b rown sliadc on th e lower
ba ck aud rum p , sh ow in g a n ap p ro a ch to S . uropygialis.
Tlie following a re th e m e a su rem en ts o f some spc e iinens from d iffe rent lo c a litie s ;__
Total length. AVing. Tail.
a. Ad. Ro ra im a , Nov. 29 [H. W h i l e l y ) ..............................................5-2 '"•2 ']'-9
■ » Nov. 2 3 „ ........... ..............................................5-0 4-0 1-9
c. S - „ J a n . 5 „ ..............................................4-7 4.3 j .g s
d. Ad. Cay en n e {Mus. P . L . S . ) ..........................................................5 0 4-3 1-9
e. Ad. lia liia { W u c h e r e r ) .......................................................................................... 4.3 j . g -
» » ........................................................................1-9 3-9 1-95
g . ? ad. P a r a ( L a y a r d ) ..............................................................................4-9 3.9 j .g
A. ad. R io ( J /« s . P . L . 5 .) ...........................................................4-9 4-25 j.g g
i. ¿ ad. Y q u ito s {H. W h i l e l y ) ........................................................ 4-9 4-3 2-1
................................................................4-5 37 1-9
c? ad. „ „ ...............................................................................5-0 4.35 jj.y .
»«. S ad. U p p e r U c ay a li {E . B a r t l e t t ) .............................................4-8 4-35 3-15
n. ? ad. Yu rim ag u a s „ ..............................................4-1 3.9 j.g ^
0. [ ? ] ad. C o p a ta z a R iv e r {C. B u c k l e y ) ......................................4-7 4-0 2-15
;i. [ ( ? ] ad. R i o N a p o .............................................................................5.3 4.4 2-05
q. [<y] ad. Yuyo, Bo liv ia (C. R«c-A/cy)............................................4-7 4-3 j .g
r . [ c J ] ad. „ „ ..............................................5-0 4.45 g g
Y0KW17. D a rk e r th a n tlie a d u lts , and liaving th e fc a tlie rs o f th e u p p e r surfa c e edged with ru s ty cdgc.s,
e sp e c ia lly d is tin c t o n th e q u ills j th e th ro a t a n d b re a s t as well us th e sides o f th e bod y are’
fe rru g in o u s , th e low e r b re a s t a n d abdomen wa sh ed w ith sulpliiir-yellow.
M a n y spe c im ens have r a th e r b ro a d w hite ed g in g s to th e se conda rie s, a n d as we have n o t be en
able to find o th e r tra c e s o f y o u tli o n th e s e indiv id u a ls, we believe th a t th e s e m a rg in s may be
me re ly in d ic a tiv e o f fre sh ly m o u lted p lum age , aud th a t th e y become ab rad ed a s th e p lum age
g e ts worn.
Hub. S o u th Am e ric a .
This species enjoys a mde range in South America and extends from Hio to Bolivia
and Peru, tlirougliout Brazil and Amazonia, to Guiana. The specimens from lloraima
have a slightly paler rump, hut cannot be confounded with S. uropygialis, AA'hich,
moreover, is the Hough-winged Swallow of Colombia. In Ecuador both forms occur.
Tliere has been some mistake in the enumeration of the specimens in the British
Museum ‘Catalogue of Birds’ (vol. x. App. p. 636), where certain of the Horainui
specimens have been included under the heading of S. uropygialis.
Azara considered the present species to be rare in Paraguay. Mr. Barrows, however,
writing ou the Birds of the Izower Uruguay, found it ahundant at Concepcion
through the summer, arriving from tlie north early iu August. He writes:—
“ I t is said to n e s t in holes in banks, and I onee du g o u t several deserted Swallows’
nests supposed to belong to th is bird, th o u g h none Averc seen in th e neighbourhood.
The nests wero of straAV and feathers a t th e end of holes a h o u t tAA'o feet iu d ep th , a n d iu
pi'ctty h a rd e a rth , whieh formed a b a n k e ig h t o r ten fee t h igh, beside a small stream.
A bird o f th is species freq u en tly visited an open au d deep Avell, ju s t in fro u t o f my door.
I repeatedly saw i t descend in to th e Avell, b u t could n e \'e r see it come ou t, o r find it
within. Pro b ab ly i t hid itse lf between th e stones of th e vA’all, where it Awas pro sp ectiu i'
lor a home Avhich it failed to find.”
The Selater Collection has a specimen from the neighbourliood of Rio de Janeiro, and
Dr. Burmeister considers it to be a common and Avidely spread species tlirougliout tlu^
Campos of the interior of Brazil; and Lund gives the same testimony regarding the
Campos of Lagoa Santa. Burmeister found it nesting at Cougouhas. The following
localities for the species are given by Natterer:—Hio do Janeiro: July, Dccemher;
Casa Piutada: January; Ypanema: December; Cuyaba, Cai9ara: January. He says
also that it is fouud near Cuyaba throughout the year.
Specimens collected by Dr. ‘Wuclicrer at Bahia, aud hy Mr. AV. A. Eorbes at
Pernambuco, are iu the Salvin-Godman Collection; and Mr. E. L. Layard. Avriting from
Para, observes:—
“ This SM'alloAV is not uncommon, hut except iu a few favoured localities in the
toA v n , I never saw it in any number together. It feeds 011 minute flies, and pcrclu's
readily on trees. It is certainly resident iu Para all the year round, though it is \'cry
scarce from September to Dccemher, on the 27th of a\ Inch month I procured a pair,
after noting their absence in September.”
It probably extends throughout the Amazon Valley, as it has been found hy Atr.
Henry AVliitely at Yquitos in March aud April, and Air. Edward Bartlett met with it
at Yurimaguas aud also ou the Upper and Lower Ucayali Hivers. Air. Henry AVhitely
also procured specimens at Cosnipata, in Peru, and Air. Jelski at Alonterico. Air. C.
Buckley likewise sent examples from Yuyo in Bolivia.
The latter traveller also procured this species on the Copataza lliver in Ecuador,
and the Salviu-Godiiian Collection has other specimens from this country. At Esiuc-
raldas and Bahalioyo Eraser met Avith S. uropygialis. A large series Avas forwarded by
Air. AVhitely from Horaiina, and a Cayenne specimen, obtained hy Jelski, is in the
Salvin-Godmau Collection.