I
Mintern Bro» imp
H IR U N D O D OM IC E L L A
Hirundo melmocrissa {non Riqip.), llartl. Orn. W.-Afr. p. 27 (1857) ; lleugl. J. f. 0 .
1863, p. 168 (var.).
Ilirundo domicella, Finsch & Ilartl. Vog. Ostafr. p. 143 (1870) ; Heugl. Orn. N.O.-
Afr. i. p. 159 (1809-70); Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1870, p. 315 ; id. Cat. Afr. 13. p. tO
(1871) ; Forbes, Ibis, 1883, p. 547 ; Shelley, t. c. p. 547 ; De Eoehebr. Faun. Sénég.,
Ois. p. 219 (1881) : Sharpe, Cat. Birds in Brit. AEus. x. p. 165 (1885).
Lillia domicella, Hume, Str. F. 1877, p. 260.
H . pileo dorso concolore ; u ro pygio rufo ; su b tù s sc riceo-alba vi.t fusco s trio la ta ; su b a la rib u s p e c to ri co n -
co lo rib u s, se ric co-a lbis ; a la 4-4.
Hab. iu reg io n e A ltliiopic à c is-cq u a to ria ii.
A d u lt male. G e n e ra l c o lo u r above deep p u rp lish b lu e , th e m a n tle s tr e a k e d w itli th e w h ite b a se s to th e
f e a th e r s ; rum p pa le c in n am o n ; w ing-cove rts lik e th e b a c k ; g r e a te r co v e rts , b a s ta rd -w in g ,
p rim a iy -co v e rts , a n d quills d u sk y b rown, ex te rn a lly glossed w ith deep p u rp le , d u lle r on th e prim
a rie s ; u p p e r ta il-co v e rts p u rp lish blue ; ta il-fe a th e rs b la ck ish , ex te rn a lly wa shed w ith p u rp lish
blu e ; crow n o f h e ad Uke th e ha ck , from which i t is s ep a ra ted by a co lla r o f r ic h c in n am o n on
th e h in d n e ck , in te r ru p te d in th e m iddle ; lores b la ck ish , su rm o u n te d h y a th in lin e o f ru fo u s ;
f e a th e rs below th e eye pa le c iu n am o u , d e ep en in g tow a rd s th e c a r-coverts, which a rc d eep c in n am o n -
ru fo u s , as also th e sides o f th e uc ck ; checks a n d u n d e r surfa c e o f body silk y w h ite ; th e th ro a t, fo re
n e ck , a u d sides o f th e u p p e r b re a s t showing th in h a ir-lik e s tria tio n s , sc arcely visible ; sides o f b ody
slig h tly washed w ith huff, d c cp eu in g o n th e lowe r flan k s ; th ig h s silk y w h ite ; u n d e r ta il-co v e rts
p u rp lish b la ck , th o se n e a r th e v c u t huffy w h ite ; u n d e r wiiig-covcrts a ud axilla rie s silk y w h ite like
th e b r e a s t ; quills below d u sk y , a sh y a lo u g th e in n e r e d g e : “ iris b ro w n ” { ÌV . A . Forbes').
To ta l len g th 7 inche s, cu lm en 0-35, w ing 4 ’4 , ta i l I ’G (lo n g e st fe a th e r 3-7), ta rsu s OA.
T h e a d u lt female does n o t differ in c o lo u r from th e male, b u t shows th e n a rrow s tria tio n s on th e c h e s t a
little m ore s tro n g ly th a n in th e male. T o ta l le n g th 7 inches, c u h u c n 0 '3 5 , win g 4 '4 , ta il I'C
(longe st f e a th e r 3 '4 5 ), ta rsu s O'o.
D r. von H e u g lin m en tio n s th a t a y o u n g spe c imen in th e S tu t tg a r d t M u seum collected h y S c h im p rr,
pro b ab ly iu E a s te rn A b yssinia , h a s th e u n d e r surfa c e sullied white , a n d m a rk e d w ith line b la ckish
s tria i to th e fe a th e rs ; th e se sh a ft-s tre ak s a rc also visible o n th e rum p .
Hab. W e st Afric a , from Sen eg am b ia to th e N ig e r ; Gaz e lle R iv e r in E q u a to ria l Africa.
This can only be regarded as a small form of II. mclanocrissa of Abyssinia, as it diifers
merely in its smaller size, rather whiter under surface, and in the nearly obsolete character