110 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



Sp. 54. HIRUNDO FRETENSIS, Gould, 



Torres Strait's Swallow. 



The only specimen I possess of the bird now to be noticed 

 was shot by Mr. Rayner, Surgeon of H.M.S. Herald, on the 

 northern shore of Australia. As it is somewhat immature, I 

 am unable to institute a rigid comparison between it and 

 other known species, as I could wish. In size and general 

 appearance it is very like an English Swallow at the end of 

 its first autumn ; but its bill is larger and longer than that of 

 any adult specimen, either of our own island or from India, 

 that I have seen. I have a fully adult Swallow from the 

 Island of Java, which I believe to be a mature individual of 

 the present species. It is very like our H. rustica, but is 

 somewhat smaller in the body, has a very large bill, and but 

 a faint indication of the black pectoral band. 



Throat rusty red, bounded below by an indistinct band of 

 dull bluish black ; under surface white ; tail forked, but the 

 outer feathers, which I consider to be imperfectly developed, 

 do not exceed the central one by more than three-quarters 

 of an inch ; all the tail-feathers, except the two middle ones, 

 with an oval spot of white on the inner web, about half an 

 inch from the tip ; crown of the head brownish black, with 

 steel reflexions ; back and upper tail-coverts glossy steel-bluish 

 black ; wings black, glossed with green ; bill and feet black. 



Total length, from tip of bill to end of tail, 5 inches ; bill, 

 gape to lip, -yq ; breadth at base -j^ ; wing 4^ ; outer tail- 

 feathers 2 J ; middle tail-feathers If ; tarsi \. 



Genus HYLOCHELIDON, Gould. 



I have not instituted a new generic appellation for the 

 following bird without maturely considering the propriety of 

 so doing, after carefully comparing it with the various forms 

 already characterized of this extensive family ; which, when- 

 ever it may be monographed by a scientific ornithologist. 



