8. ATTICORA. 183 



1. Atticora fasciata, 



Hirondelle de Cayenne a bande blanche sur lo ventre, Datihent. PI, 



Enl. vii. pi. 7^4. fig. 2. 

 Hirondelle a ceinture blanche, Month. Hist. Nat. Ois. vi. p. 611 (1779). 

 White-bellied Swallow, Lath. Gen. Si/n. ii. pt. 2, p. 507 (1783). 

 Hirundo fasciata, Gin. Si/st. Nat. i. p. 1022 (1788) ; Swains. Zool. 



Illustr. 2nd ser. i. pi. 17 (1829). 

 Cecropis fasciata. Less. Conipl. Buff. viii. p. 499 (1837). 

 Atticora fasciata, Boie, Lsis, 1844, p. 172; Cab. in ScJionib. Meis. 



Guian. iii. p. 672 (1848); Bp. Consp. i. p. 337 (1850); Cass. Cat. 



Hirund. Miis. Philad. Acad. p. 7 (18.53); Burm. Th. Bras. iii. p. 146 



(1856) ; Sclater, Cat. Amer. B. p. 39 (1862) ; Baird, Revieiv Amer, 



B. p. 306 (1865) ; Sd. ^ Salv. P. Z. S. 1866, p. 178, 1867, p. 749 ; 



Gray, Hand-l. B. i. p. 72, no. 857 (1869); Pelz. Orn. Bras. 



pp. 18, 402 (1871); Sd. Sf Salv. P. Z. S. 1873, p. 259; iid. 



Nomend. Av. Neotr. p. 14 (1873) ; Tacz. P. Z. S. 1882, p. 8 ; Salv. 



Cat. Stridil. Coll. p. 152 (1882) ; id. i<f Godm. Biol. Centr.-Amer., 



Aves, I. p. 229 (1883) ; Tacz. Orn. Perou, p. 244 (1884). 



Adult male. General colour above glossy blue-black ; ■wing- 

 coverts and quiUs black externally, edged with the colour of tho 

 back ; tail very much forked, the feathers blue-black, glossy on their 

 edges ; lores and base of forehead velvety black ; sides of face, ear- 

 coverts, cheeks, and entire under surface of body glossj' blue-black, 

 including the under tail-coverts ; across tho breast a very broad 

 band of white, extending a little way down the flanks ; thighs 

 ■white ; under wing-coverts and axillarics brown, glossed -with blue ; 

 quills dusky bro-wn below, paler elong the edge of the inner -web. 

 Total length 6 inches, culmen 0*35, wing 4-15, tail 3-1, tarsus 0*45. 



Adult female. Similar to the male in colour. 



There seems to be wonderfully little difl^ereuce in si^eeimens from 

 various parts of South America, a greater or less extent of white on 

 the pectoral band being the only difference observable. This wUl, 

 however, be found to be priucipallj^ due to the preparation of the 

 skin or to the age of the bird, the young ones havdng undoubtedly 

 a broader pectoral band than the old ones. Even after they have 

 gained tho full blue plumage and moulted out of tho brown stage, 

 the young birds can be told by the remains of white bars on the 

 under wing-coverts. 



Young. Duller blue than the adult, or brown glossed with blue, 

 with narrow edgings of whity brown to the feathers, more distinct 

 on the greater series of wing-coverts ; throat and fore neck brown 

 glossed with blue ; the entire chest and breast white, forming a 

 much larger patch than in the adult bird ; the abdomen and sides 

 of lower flanks brown mixed with dull white ; under tail-coverts 

 brown, slightly washed with blue, the shorter ones having paler 

 brown edges ; axillaries and under wing-coverts brown, margined 

 with white near tho car])al bend of the wing. 



Nestliiicj. Distinguished bj* the yellow gape, brown throat and 

 chest and abdomen, the feathers edged with whity brown ; upper 

 surface duller blue than in the adult bird, the rump and upper tail- 

 coverts brown, ■with paler brown edges. 



llah. Guiana and Amazonia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. 



