Hirundo semirufa, Sundev. CEfv. K. Vct..-Akad. Eoidi. Stookh. 1830, p. 107 ; Shaypi-,
Ibis, 1869, p. 188 ; Ayres, t. c. p. 290 : Gray, IIand-1. B. i. p. 09, no. 802 (1809) ;
Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1870, p. 317 ; id. Cat. Afr. B. p. 1« (1871) ; Ayres, Ibis, 1880,
p. 260; Sharpe, in Oates’s Matahde Land, App. p. 312 ; id. od. Layard’s IÌ. S. Afr.
p. 370, pi. ix. fig. 1 (1882); Shelley, Ibis, 1882, p. 200; Ayres. Ibis, 1881, p. 227 ;
Sharpe, Cat. Birds iu Brit. Mus. x. p. 167 (1885).
H . u ro pygio ru fo ; pileo dorso co n co lo re ; su b tù s unico lo r, b a u d s tr ia ta ; g u là a lba .
Hub. iu Afric à merid io n a li.
A<Mt. A b o v e d a rk b lu e , in c lin in g to iu digo ; rum p c h e s tn u t ; u p p e r ta il-c o v e rts d a rk b lu e ; w ing-cove rts
lik e th e b a c k , th e in n e r g r e a te r co v e rts fu lv o u s o n tlic ir in n e r web, fo rm in g a s p o t ; q u ills bluek.
lirownisli u n d e rn e a th , glossed above w ith d a rk b lu e ; ta il b la c k , glossed w ith b lu e above, every
fe a th e r, ex c ep t th e two c e n tr e o ne s, h av in g a very la rg e w h ite spot o n th e in n e r w e b ; spuiv
between th e b ill a n d tlie ey e velvety b la ck ; che eks an d e a r-co v e rts de ep b lu e -b la ck ; e n tir e u n d e r
surfa c e ch e s tn u t, very deep o n th e flanks an d abdom en, th e u n d e r ta il-c o v c rts p a le r ru to u s -
b u ff; u u d e r wing-cove rts isab e llin e b u tf ; edge o f w in g fu lv o u s m o ttle d w ith b la ck : “ b ill b la ck ;
legs d u s k y ; iris d u s k y ” [T. A y r e s ) . T o ta l le n g th 8 ’8 in ch e s, culmen 0 '7 , wing ")•;>, ta il
ta rsu s 0-55.
Air. G u rn ey d e sc rib e s a su p p o sed im m a tu re spe c imen a s b e in g “ p a le r ru fo u s below, w ith th e u p p e r su rfa c e
b rownish b la c k in s te a d o f d a rk b lu e with a m e ta llic lu s tr e a s iu th e old b ird .” T h is d e s c rip tio n
b e tte r su its th e w orn b re cd in g -d rc s s o f th e a d u lt tlia n th a t o f th e m in ia tu re b ird , which o u g h t to
show n ifo u s tip s to th e in n e r secondaries.
}{(ib. S o u th A fric a ; from N a ta l th ro u g h th e T ran sv a a l a n d Ala tabe le c o u n try to M a slioona L a n d .
This is a large species, entirely confined to tho southern province of the Ethiopian llegion.
In the ‘ Catalogue’ we wci-e inclined to separate the present bird from tho est-Airican
JL gordoni on account of the paler under tail-coverts ; but a further examination of tin*
series in the British Museum and in Capt. Shelley’s collection convinecs us that tliis
character is not a constant one, and there is scarcely any specific difreronee between tlu'se
two Swallows. IL semirufa is merely a large dccply-coloured race oi tho AVcst-Alricaii
species with a perceptihlv longer wing ; hut botli in intensity of coloration and iu size tlic
Congo aud Gaboon specimens of 11. gordoni arc intermediate. In Natal and Transvaal
examples the wing measures 4'95-5'25 inches, a Congo specimen (iiutuature) d o, a