HIRUNDO EMINI,
EMIN’S SWALLOW.
i !
Hirundo melanocrissa (nec E.uppell), Emin, J. f. 0 . 1891, pp. 340, 345.
Hirundo emini, Reichen. Bcr. Allg. deutsch. orn. Ges. xi. p. 2 (Jan. 1892); id.
J. f. O. 1892, p. 30.
Hirundo astigma, Shelley, Ibis, 1893, p. 19.
H . u ro pygio rufo : piieo ch a lybeo-nigro : su b tu s m inim e s trio la ta : c au d a rninim e albo m a cu la ta .
Hab. in AfricA c cn tra li-o rien ta li.
A d u lt male. Gen e ra l colour above blue -b la ck , with w h itish bases a n d m a rg in s to th e fe a th e rs o f th e
m antle , p ro d u c in g a s trip ed appearance, th e lower b a ck and rum p c in n am o n -ru fo u s ; u p p e r ta il-
cove rts a n d ta il blue -b la ck , th e la tte r w ith o u t a n y w h ite s p o ts ; wing-coverts lik e th e b a ck , th e
g re a te r cove rts and q uills b la ckish glossed with b lue -bla ck, th e in n e rm o s t g re a te r coverts taw n y
isabelline, fo rm in g a p a tc h ; crown o f he ad a n d n ap e b lu e -b la c k lik e th e b a c k ; a lo r a l sp o t o f
isabe lline b u ff; fe a th e rs below th e eye a n d e a r-cove rts d u sk y blackish, washed w ith c h e s tn u t;
from b ehind th e eye a very d is tin c t p a tch o f c h e s tn u t e x ten d in g ba ckwa rds to th e sides o f th e
nap e , b u t n o t sufiiciently to cause a n u ch a l colla r, th o u g h th e blue feathei’s o f th e n ap e a re s lig h tly
tin g e d w ith c h e s tn u t ; cheeks, th ro a t, and sides o f n e ck isabelline, th e r e s t o f th e u n d e r surfa c e
from th e lowe r th ro a t downwards a little de epe r iu colour a n d a little more taw n y , de epening ou
th e u n d e r ta il-cove rts, a ll o f which have th e te rm in a l h a lf b lue -bla ck, th e lo n g co v e rts e n tire ly of
th e l a tte r c o lo u r ; u n d e r wing-coverts a n d axilla rie s lik e th e b re a s t. T o ta l len g th 7 '5 inches,
culmen 0 ‘3o, wing 4 ’9 , ta il T 7 5 , o u te r ta il-fe a th e rs 3*9, ta rsu s 0 6.
Hab. Vic in ity o f V ic to ria N y an z a , aud o c c u rrin g aga in in th e S h ire Hig h lan d s.
D r . R e ic h e n ow first described this species from Emin Pasha’s collection made on the
Victoria Nyanza, when two specimens were forwarded to the Berlin 3Iuseum from
Bussisi and Bukoba; the first of these was procured in October and the second in
November. Dr. Reichenow compared the new species, tvhich he named in honour of
Emin Pasha, Avith H. melanocrissa, and it is undoubtedly very closely allied to the latter
bird, but is deeper cinnamon-coloured below, and has no sign of any shaft-streaks.
Captain Shelley, in describing the collections sent by Mr. H. II. Johnston, C.B.,
from the Shire Highlands, named a SAvallow Hirundo astigma, and compared it with
H. semirufa, to which it certainly bears some resembhince by reason of its unstripod
under surface. The type of II. astigma was procured hy Mr. Alexander ‘VVhyte, Avho