Gaboon bird 4 7 , and the Pautee and Senegal specimens The Soutli-African
specimens are rather paler under the wing, on the under wing-coverts and axillaries, but
even iu this respect they only differ to a slight extent from II. gordoni.
But little has been recorded of the habits and nidification of tliis species. It was
discovered by the late Prof. Wahlberg in Natal, and was afterwards obtained by Mr. T.
Ayres in the Transvaal, where, however, it is scarce. It appears near Potchcfstroom in
the spring of the year, in September, and remains throughout the summer. It was found
hy Mr. Ayres to he “ much more plentiful in the warmer Rustenberg district than in the
open and colder country around Potchcfstroom.” A specimen in the British Museum
was obtained by Mr. F. A. Barratt between Pretoria and Lydenburg; and the late
ilr . Frank Oates met with the species at Tati in the ilatabili country in October, aud
further north at Inchlangin in December. It was seen during Mr. Jameson’s expedition
by Mr. Ayres in the Mashoona country in September, October, and December.
Mr. T. Ayres found the nest of the pi’esent species in an old brick-kiln on the
outskirts of the village of Rustenberg, and he says that it much resembled that of
Jl. cumillata. il r . Frank Oates found many small beetles in the stomach of one which
lie sliot at Inchlangin.
The figure in the Plate has been drawn from a specimen in Capt. Shelley’s collection,
the description being copied from the British-MuseuDi ‘ Catalogue.’
Hirundo melanocrissa (neo Rfipp.), Jai-d. Contr, Orn. 1819, p. 4.
Hirundo gordoni, Jard. Contr. Orn, 1831, p. 141, 1852, p. 47 ; Havtl. Orn. W.-Afr.
p 27 (1837); id. J. f. O. 1861, p. 103; Gray, IIaud-1. B. i. p. 69, no. 799 (1869);
Sharpe, Ibis, 1809, p. 188; id. P. Z. S. 1870, p. 317 ; id. Cat. Afr. B. p. 46 (1871);
Shelley & Buckley, Ibis, 1872, p. 288 ; Ussher, Ihis, 1874, p. 03 ; Beichon. J, f. 0 .
1873, p. 21; Bocage, Orn. Angola, p. 183 (1881); Do Boohehr. Faun. Sdndg., Ois.
p. 219 (1884); Sharpo, Cat. Birds in Brit. Mus. x. p. 108 (1886).
Ceeropis gordoni, Cass. Proc. Pbilad. Acad. 1859, p. 33.
H . sim ilis H . s em iru fa , sed m in o r.
Hab. iu AfricS. occidenta li.
A d u lt. Above glossy in d ig o -b lu e , d u lle r o n tlie w in g - c o v e r ts ; q u ills b row n ish b la ck , glossed above,
especially o n th e se conda rie s, w ith d a rk b lu e ; rum p s ic n u a - ru fo u s ; u p p e r ta il-c o v e rts d a rk
in d ig o ; ta il brow n ish black, wa shed w ith du ll in d ig o above, th e in n e r webs o f a ll b u t th e six
c e n tra l fe a th e rs h a v in g a la rg e w h ite p a tc h ; e n tir e u n d e r su rfa c e o f b o d y sie im a -ru fo u s , a little
p a le r o n th e th ro a t, th ig h s , a n d u n d e r w in g -c o v e rts ; b ill b la ck ; fe e t d a rk b row n . T o ta l len g th
(j-y inche s, cu lm cn 0 '3 5 , w in g 4*5, ta il -I', ta r s u s 0 '5 5 .
Hab. W e s t Africa, from Sen eg am b ia to A ngola .
We have already, under the heading ot H. semirufa, given our reasons for regarding
Gordon’s Swallow as a small raee of the latter species, which it represents in Mest
Africa. Its range is rather extensive, as it is found from Angola northwards to Seue-
gambia; hut how far it ranges in the interior, wo aro at present uninformed.
In Soncgamhia, according to Dr. do Eochebrune, it is not common, hut ho records it
from tho following localities—Gambia, Casamence, Mchicorec, Zekiukior, Sedhiou,
Sainte-Marie, and Albrcda. Mr. Biittikofor did not moot with the spoeies in Liberia, hut
ou tho Gold Coast, where it was originally obtained by Dr. Gordon. Capt. ShoUey aud
Mr. T. E. Buckley state that it was “ plentiful throughout the district, and generally
mot with in pairs perched on the top of some low Imsli or on the coarse grass of llie
plains.” The late Governor Ussher writes as f o l l ows “ Tolerably common in the
eastern or Accra district of the Gold Const, and now and then met with in the Fantee
districts. It is a hold handsome bird, fond of building about houses, and much resembling
H. rustica iu its habits, especially in its low swooping flights over level ojieu ground. It