H IR UNDO H Y PE R Y TH R A .
Hirundo hyperythra, Blyth, J. A. S. Beng. xviii. p. 811- (1849); id. Cat. B. Mus. As.
Soc. p. 198 (1849); Kelaart, Prodr. Cat. p. 118 (1852); Layard, Ann. & Mag.
Nat. Hist. xii. p. 170 (1853); Blyth, Ibis, 1807, p. 30G; Gray, Hand-1. B. i. p. 09,
no. 798 (1809) ; Holdsw. P. Z. S. 1872, p. 419 ; Legge, B. Ceylon, p. 592 (1879) ;
Hume, Str. P. 1879, p. 84 ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds in Brit. Mus. x. p. 107 (1885).
llerse hypcrytlira. Bp. Consp. i. p. 310 (1850).
Ceeropis hyperythra, Gould, B. Asia, i. pi. 30 (1808) ; Jerd. Ibis, 1871, p. 352 ;
Hume, Str. P. 1877, p. 260.
H. sira ilis I I . hadiiB, sed m in o r, e t su b tijs magis d is tin c tè nig ro lin e a ta .
Hab. in iusiilà C ey lonensi.
A d u lt. G en e ra l c o lo u r above p u rp lish b lu e o r deep s te e l-b lu e , a l ittle s tre ak ed on th e h in d n e c k and
m a n tle w ith fu lv o u s , th e f e a th e rs h av in g a conc e a led fulvous ed ging, which b eeomcs e v id en t when
th e y a re d is a r r a n g e d ; win g -co v e rts lik e th e b a c k ; h a stavd-wing, p rim a ry -co v c rts , and quills
bla ck ish , e x te rn a lly glossed w ith ste e l-b lu e ; fe a th e rs o f lowe r b a ck ste e l-b lu e , tip p ed w ith rufous
lik e th e a d jo in in g rum p and u p p e r ta il-co v e rts, th o lo n g e s t o f th e la tte r be ing ste e l-b lu e ; ta il-
f e a th e rs b la ek ish glossed w ith s te e l-b lu e ; crown o f h e a d lik e th e b a c k ; lo re s d u sk y , su rm o u n te d
by a n a rrow lin e o f ru fo u s from th e b a s e o f th e foreh e ad , ex ten d in g over th e eye, a n d fo rm in g a
s c a rc e ly p e rc ep tib le eyebrow ; sides o f h in d e r crown, e a r-co v e rts, cheeks, sides o f ne ck, and e n tir e
u n d e r su rfa c e o f bod y deep c h e s tn u t, very’ p la in ly m a rk e d n i th n a rrow b la ek ish sh a ft-lin e s , a
little b ro a d e r o n th e car-covcvts and on th e th ro a t ; th ig h s and u u d e r ta il-co v e rts c h e s tn u t, th e
lo n g e r u n d e r ta il-co v e rts tip p e d o r su b tc n n in a lly sp o tted with blue , th e lo n g e s t e n tire ly b lu e ;
th e u u d e r wiu g -co v c rts a u d axilla rie s c h e s tn u t, with d is tin c t bla ck ish sh a ft-lin e s n e a r th e edge of
th e w in g ; quills below d u sk y b la ck : “ bill deep b rown, in some sp e c im en s blackisli, th e base o f
th e low e r m an d ib le r e d d is h ; legs a n d fe e t vinous b ro w n ; iris s e p ia -b row n ” ( f r . V. L egge).
T o ta l le n g th 6*4 inche s, culmen 0-4, w ing 4 '5 5 , ta il 2 '9 5 , ta r s u s 0 ’5.').
Sexes alike in plumage .
Im m a tu r e birds have th e h u e o f th e u u d e r surface p a le r th a u th e ad u lts a n d th e sh a ft-s tre ak s
n o t so c le a r [TV. V. Legge),
Hah. ('ey lo n .
T h e present species and its ally, II. hadia, constitute quite a peculiar section o f the
genus Hirundo, having the rufous hand across the lower back and rump like the Mosque-
Swallows, but having at the same time a deep chestnut uuder surface, with little or no
indications of streaks.