5. HIRUNDO. 141 



2. Hinindo tahitica. 



Otaheit6 Swallow, Lath. Gen. Syn. ii. pt. 2, p. 563, pi. frontisp. (1783). 



Ilinmdo tahitica, Gm. Si/st. Nat. i. p. 1016 (1788) ; Gray, Gen. B. 

 i. p. 58 (1845) ; id. B. 'Trop. Isl. Pacific Ocean, p'. 4 (1859) ; Fimch 

 i^ Hartl. Faun. Centralpolyn. p. 51 (1867) ; Gray, Haud-l. B. i. 

 p. 70, no. 811 (1869) ; E. L. Layard, Ihis, ISIQ, p. 391 ; Finsch, 

 P. Z. S. 1877, pp. 730, 738 ; E. i. &■ L. C. Lai/ard, Ibis, 1878, 

 pp. 270, 280; Tristr. Ibis, 1879, p. 192; Sa'lmd. Ibis, 1880, 

 p. 130 ; Trisir. t. c. p. 246 ; L. C. Layard, t. c. p. 298 ; Finsch, Ibis, 



1881, p. 636 ; id. Report Voy. ' Challenger,^ ii. Birds, pp. 43, 5.3 

 (1881) ; Salvad. Orn. Papuasia etc. ii. p. 5 (1881) ; Tristr. Ibis, 



1882, p. 142 ; Layard, t. c. pp. 502, 54.3. 



Hirundo taiteusis, Less. Voy. ' Coquille,^ i. p. 648 (1826). 



Herse taitensis, Less. Compl. Buff. viii. p. 443 (1837). 



Hirundo porphja-olsema, Forster, Icon. ined. 167 ; id. Descr. Anim. 



p. 241 (1844). 

 Cecropis taitensis, Boie, Isis, 1844, p. 175. 

 Herse tahitica, Bp. Consp. i. p. 340 (1850). 



Petrochelidon pacifica, Cass. Cat. Hirund. Philad. Mus. p. 5 (1853). 

 Chelidon tahitica, Licht. Nomencl. Av. p. 61 (1854). 

 Hirundo subfusca, Gould, P. Z. S. 1856, p. 137 ; Gray, Cat. B. Trop. 



Isl. Pacific Ocean, p. 4 (1859). 

 Petrochelidon tahitica, Cass. Cat. Hirund. Philad. Mus. p. 5 (1853) ; 



B}}. Rivist. Contemp., Torino, p. 5 (1857). 

 Phedina subfusca, Bp., teste Salvad. 



Hirundo (Herse) tahitica, Pelz. Reis. ' Novara^ Vog. p. 41 (1865). 

 AduU male. General colour above dull steel-blue or blue-black, 

 with ashy bases to the feathers ; lesser and median, wing-coverts 

 like the back ; greater coverts, bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and 

 quills blackish, slightly glossed with steel-blue on the outer web ; 

 tail-feathers uniform blackish, with a slight steel-blue gloss on the 

 outer webs ; forehead deep chestnut ; lores blackish ; ear-coverts 

 dull steel-blue like the head ; cheeks, throat, and fore neck deep 

 chestnut, with a half-crescent of steel-blue descending on the sides 

 of the latter ; remainder of under surface of body uniform smoky 

 brown, with a few mottled feathers in the centre of the breast, some 

 of the feathers being washed -ndth steel-blue near their ends ; under 

 tail-coverts smoky brown, edged with rufous, with a distinct sub- 

 terminal spot of steel-blue ; under wing-coverts and axillaries dark 

 smoky brown ; quills dusky below, rather lighter brown on the inner 

 webs : " bill and legs black ; iris dark brown " (Layard). Total 

 length 5 inches, culmen 0*35, wing 4*15, tail 2, tarsus 0-3. 



Adult female. vSimilar to the male in plumage. Total length 5 

 inches, culmen 0"4o, wing 4*2, tail 2, tarsus 0-4. 



Ohs. Some specimens exhibit ashy-whitish edgings to the feathers 

 of the abdomen rather more distinctly than others. 



Hah. Friendly Islands, Fijilslands, New Hebrides ; Solomon Islands ; 

 NewEritain. ? New Caledonia. (Cy.Layard, Ibis, 1882, pp. 502,543.) 

 «. 5 ad. sk. Moala,Fiji Islands, Sept.8, J, Gould, Esq. (Tj'pe of 



1854 (J. Macgillivray). H. subfusca.) 

 h,c.S2 ad. sk. Matiika, Fiji. Voy.H.^I.S. 'Challenger.' 



d. 2 ad. sk. Kandavu, Fiji. Vov. H.M.S. ' Challenger.' 



e. $ ad. sk. Api, New Hebrides. Voy. H.M.S. ' ChaUenger.' 

 /. Ad.sk. Aneiteum, New Hebrides. J. Macgillivray, Esq. [C], 

 </. Ad. sk. New Britain. Ilerr Kleinsclimidt [C.]. 



