i t i
Add
Kirundo leucosoma, Sharpe & AVyatt, Monogr. Ilirund. pt. i. (1885) ; Reiciien.
J. f. 0 . 189I, p. 382.
Sext from Togo Land by Dr. Büttner.
For the geographical distribution of this species, vide infra, Plate 78 [Map].
H I R U N D O D I M I D I A T A [«nfeà, p. 3I3].
Add
Hirundo dimidiata, Sharpo & AA'yatt, Monogr. Hirund. pt. xi. (1889); Bocage,
Jorn. Sc. Lisb. (2) viii. p. 238 (1802).
For tho geographical distrihution of this species, vide infra, Plate 79 [Jlap].
four in number. About two weeks afterwards I happened to pass the same spot again
and found a new nest in the remaining part of tho hollow, probably built by the same pair
of Swallows, but this time constructed of clay and mud in tho way of our Housc-Martin,
and stuck to the wall of the hollow. It was lined with some stems of grass and othei!
soft materials, and a few feathers ot a Pigeon, and contained three eggs. I ao-ain
carried off the nest and eggs without troubling the birds, which had disappeared for a
moment. Some time afterwards I visited this spot and was not a little astonished
to find a now nest, built like tho last one, aud containing one single egg; but this
time I found it too ornel to carry off the nest again, and therefore ordered my hoys to
pull on and leave to the twice-tormented birds the pleasure of their breeding business
The eggs are thickly spotted aud speckled with reddish brown, on a rosy-whfto ground!
Their shape is oviform, the size 19 mm. in length and 13 mm. in width.”
According to Dr. Hartert, this Swallow was not rare on tho Lower Niger, building
Its nest on the huge dead trees in tho stream. Mr. Jameson procured it at Yamhuya
on the Aruwhimi River.
X^or the geographical distribution of this species, vide infrd, Plate 79 [Map],
H I R U N D O N I G R I T A [anted, p. 317].
Add
Hirundo nigrita, Sharpe & AV’yatt, Monogr. Ilirund. pt. iv. (1886); Biittik.
Notes Leyd. Mus. x. p. 68 '(1888), xi. p. 130 (1889); Shelley. Ihis, 1890,
p. 163 ; Beichen. J. f. 0 . 1890, p. 117; Buttik. Eciseb. Liber, ii. p. 100, cum
fig. (1891).
Waldenia nigrita, Beichen. J. f. 0.1875, p. 21; Hartert, J. f. 0 . 1886, p. 590.
Dk. B etcheno'w found the present species common on the Lower AVuri and Camaroons.
In Liberia Mr. Biittikofer obtained the eggs. He gives a picture of the nest, built
of mud and attached to the bough of a tree overhanging the river. He gives the
following interesting note:—“ Frequently found in pairs with nest and eggs on the
])u Queah, from its mouth upwards to the first falls, and on all other rivers I happened
to visit on my journey to Cape Palmas. The beautiful Biver-Swallow is not easily got
to leave the place which it once lias chosen as nesting-place, and will always keep
within some hundi’ed yards from it. On one of my first trips up the Du Queah,
on the 3rd of January, I found a nest with two fresh eggs in a hollow of a log,
])rojecting about six feet above high water. The nest consisted of small stems of grass,
small pieces of bark, and a few feathers, without any earthy substances, and contained
two eggs. As it was a very fine ncsting-plaee I sawed the end of the log down w hen
])ussing a few days afterwards aud carried it off with nest and eggs, 'n'hich were then
Add— W^ R U N DO A T R O C z i R U L E a [«fm .p.sio].
Hirundo atrocmrulea, Sharpe & AVyatt, Monogr. Hirund. pt. iii. (1886); Seebohm
Ibis, 1887, p. 310.
In his paper on tho Birds of Natal, Jlr. Seebohm writes as follows:—“ By far tho most
interesting of the Swallows that came under my notice in Natal was the Blue Swallow
[Hirundo atrocmmlea). A few pairs of these charming little birds were almost always
to be seen hawking diligently for flics over a small field which led from the garden of
my friend Mr. Mark nutoliinson’s house dow-u to a little stream that flowed at the foot
ot the hush. Graham Hutchinson told mo that they wore seldom seen in tho open
veldt, and always chose sheltered nooks near bush and water. Early in the mornin«
they often used to perch on the wire fence that enclosed the garden.' He told mo that
oftenltoM associated freely with the other species, but were
For the geographical distribution of this species, vide suprd, Plate 45 [Map].
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