A REVISION OF THE FORMS OF THE EDIBLE-NEST 

 SWIFTLET, COLLOCALIA FUCIPHAGA (THUNBERG). 



By Harry C. Oberholser, 



Assistant Ornithologist, United States Department of Agriculture. 



During the five 3'ears that have elapsed since the writer's revision 

 of the genus Collocalia appeared/ the United States National Museum 

 has acquired considerable additional material in tliis group. These 

 specimens show that there are several more forms of Collocalia 

 fucipJiaga worthy of recognition, and that, in consequence, the ranges 

 and characters of other races are more or less in need of readjustment. 

 The following synopsis of the subspecies of Collocalia fiiciphaga will, 

 therefore, take the place of the one previously published.^ In that 

 review tliree forms of this species were recognized, not including 

 Collocalia hremrostris McClelland, which was treated as a full species. 

 The number is now raised to 10, among wliich are included Collocalia 

 breinrostris and the recently discovered Collocalia fuciphaga capnitis 

 Thayer and Bangs.^ 



The range of Collocalia fuciphaga, as a species, is extensive. It 

 occurs west to the Himalaya Mountains at about 76° east longitude; 

 north to central China, the Philippine Islands, Mariana Islands, and 

 the Caroline Islands; east to the Duke of York Island (Union Group) 

 and the Tonga Islands; south to the Loyalty Islands, New Guinea, 

 Java, Nias, and the Seychelles Islands. It seems to be a permanent 

 resident throughout its range. 



Although the differences between the several races are apparently 

 slight, they are reasonably constant, for individual variation is not 

 great. As is the case u^th the other species of the genus, there is 

 practically no sexual difference in either size or color, for which 

 reason no distinction is necessary in color comparisons or measure- 

 ment averages. ^Vll measurements are in millimeters. 



The writer is indebted to Dr. Charles W. Richmond for many 

 courtesies incident to the preparation of the present paper; also to 

 JMr. William Palmer for the use of his Javan material ; and to 

 ^Ii". Outram Bangs for the loan of specimens additional to the United 

 States National Museum series. 



» Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., July 26, 1906, pp. 177-212. 



J Ibid. pp. 185-189. 



« Bull. Mus. Comp. Z6ol., vol. 52, 1909, p. 139. 



Proceedings U. S. National Museum, Vol. 42— No. 1881. 



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