5. HIRTTNDO. 159 



that in a large series the darker and coarser the breast-stripes the 

 darker the ear-coverts, and just as every gradation in length of wing 

 can be found, so every intermediate form between the narrowly 

 striped examples, with finely streaked ear-coverts, and the coarsely 

 streaked specimens, with nearly uniform blackish ear-coverts, can be 

 met with in a series. 



With some slight modifications, I have adopted Mr. Seebohm's 

 classification of the races or subspecies, as it embodies Mr. Hume's 

 conclusions ; but I must confess that when a larger series is at our 

 disposal, I shall expect to find a perfect gradation from one to the 

 other, beginning with the faintly-streaked //. erythropygla and 

 leading through H. nipalensis to H. daurica, and then through 

 H . japoiiica to H. striolata and its races. It also appears to me 

 impossible to settle the question of some of these races until 

 a larger series is at our disposal from various parts of China, and 

 especially from the headquarters of these Swallows in winter, viz. 

 Assam, Burmah, Cochin China, &c., from which countries I have 

 not examined nearly enough material. 



It must therefore be understood that the synonymy of these 

 Mosque-Swallows is liable to modification, as it will be necessary 

 to examine specimens from the localities to which the references 

 belong. A great deal will also depend upon future observation, as 

 to whether all these Mosque-Swallows are migratory in the different 

 countries they inhabit, or whether they are stationary, forming 

 colonies in various parts of Asia. 



19. Hirundo daurica. 



Ilirundo daurica, Lmn. Mantissa Plant, p. 528 (1771) ; Gm. Syst. 



Nat. i. p. 1024 (1788) ; Grmj, (Jvn. B. i. p. 57 (1845) ; Bp. Consp. 



i. p. 338(1850); De Selys-Lonijchami)s, Bull. Acad. R. Belg. xxii. 



pt. 2, p. 103 (1855). 

 Hirundo alpestris, Pall. Heis. Buss. Beichs. ii. Api). no. 19 (1771-76) ; 



id. Zoogr. Bosso-Asiat. p. 534, pi. .30 (1811) ; Bias. Nachtr. Naum. 



Vog.DeutscM. xiii. p. 209, pi. 383. fig. 3 (18(50); Badde, Beis. 



Sibir. Vog. p. 280 (18G3) ; Finsch, Beis. West-Sibir. p. 38 (1879) ; 



Seebohm, Ibis, 1883, p. 109; Homey. S^ Tancre, MT. om. Ver. 



Wien, 1883, p. 83. 

 Daurian Swallow, Lath. Gen. Syn. ii. pt. 2, p. 570 (1783). 

 Hirundo dauurica, Lath. Ind. Om. ii. p. 576 (1790). 

 Cecropis daurica. Less. Compl. Buff. viii. p. 498 (1837) ; £me, Isis, 



1844, p. 174; DybowsJci, J.f. O. Ib76, p. 192. 

 Cecropis alpestris, Boie, Isis, 1844, p. 174 ; Gould, B. Asia, i. pi. 28 



(ISUO) ; bybowski, J. f. O. 1868, p. ,336, 1872, p. .352, 1874, p. 334, 



1875, p. 244 ; Tacz. Bull. Soc. Zool. France, i. p. 133 (1876) ; Prjev. 



in Dawson Bowley's Om. Misc. ii. p. 161 (ls77) ; IJavid ^- Oust. 



Ois. Chine, p. 125 (1878). 

 Lillia alpestris, Boie, J.f. O. 1858, p. .364. 

 ? LilHa intermedia, Hume, Str. F. 1877, p. 263. 



Adult male. General colour above deep blue, the back much 

 streaked with white when the feathers are disturbed ; head like the 

 back, and not separated bj' a nuchal collar from the mantle ; lesser 

 and median wing-coverts like the back, the greater coverts, bastard- 



