450 



NESTS AND EGGS OF AISTRALIAX HfRPS. 



FAMILY— HIRUNDINID^ : SWALLOWS. 

 Sub-family — Hirundinin« : Swallows proper. 



377. — HiRUNDO JAVANICA, Spamnaii. — (54) 

 EASTERN SWALLOW. 



Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. x., p. 142. 



Previous Descriptions of Eggs. — Hume : Nests and Eggs Indian Birds 



(1875) — Dates' ed.^ol. ii., p. 186 (1890); Legge : Birds of 



Ceylon, p. 5q<) (1880). 



deiigraphirnl Dixfri/iiifin)i. — North Queensland; also New Guinea 

 and adjacent islands, Moluccas, Philippine Islands, Borneo. Sumatra, 

 Java, Malayan Peninsula. India, and Ceylon. 



Nest. — Composed of pellets of mud. thickly lined with feathers, open 

 at the top, with tlte saucer-like depression rather deep ; it is usually 

 placed in some building, cave, or against some well-sheltered rock. 

 (Hume-Davidson), 



Bgffs. — Clutch, three usually ; moderately broad oval, compi-cssed 

 towards one end; colour, pinky-white, very finely speckled and spotted, 

 more densely at the large end, where there is a tendcncv to form a 

 zone, with diflferent shades of dull-purple and brownish-red. Average 

 size about -7 x -5 inch. (Hume). 



Ohserrntionx. — Gould possessed only one specimen of this species, 

 which lie called the Torres Strait Swallow, shot on the uoi-them shore 

 of Australia by Mr. Raynor, surgeon of H.M.S. " Herald." 



378. — HiRUNDo NEoxENA, Gould. (53) 



SWALLOW. 



Figure. — Gould : Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii., pi. 13. 



Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. x., p. 144. 



Previous Descriptions of Eggs. — Gould : Birds of Australia (1848) ; 

 also Handbook, vol. i., p. 109 (1865) ; Ramsav : Ibis, p. 27^ 

 (1S6S); North: Austn. Mus. Cat., p. 31 (i88q)'. 



Gengrnphiral Dissfrihu'ion. — Wliole of Australia and Tasmania. 



Nexf. — Constructed of pellets of mud or rlay, strengthened with 

 gra.ss, and warmly lined with gi-asses, feathers, and hair. In sliapc 



