191 7-] Birds from British East Africa. 389 



Hirundo rustica rustica. 



Hirando rustica Linn. Syst, Nat, 1758, p. 191 [Sweden] ; 

 Reichw. Vog. Afr. ii. 1903, p. 406. 



9 ad. Ithanga Hills, 4th October. Wing 124 mm. 



Iris dark brown ; bill black ; legs very dark brown. 



The Chimney Swallow was very numerous in October, 

 just returning from Europe. 



Riparia rufigula. 



Cutile rujiyula Fischer & Reich w. J. f, O. 1884', p. 53 

 [Naivasha, B.E.A.]. 



Riparia rufi(jula Reichw. Vog. Afr. ii. 1903, p. 100. 



0. Tsavo River. 13tli August. Wing 108 mm. 

 Iris dark brown ; bill dark ; legs light brown. 

 This was the only specimen seen. 



On examining the series in the British Museum, I found 

 that the species was easily divisible into two races : a typical 

 dark coloured race, and a larger and paler northern form. 



1. Riparia rufigula rufigula. 



Cotile rufigula Fischer & Reichw. J. f. O. 1884, p. 53 

 [Naivasha, B.E.A.]. 



Range. German and British East Africa to the Congo and 

 Nigeria. 



Size smaller. Wing 104-114 mm,, average 108. Throat 

 and upper breast distinctly red. Back and underparts 

 darker. 



2. Riparia rufigula subsp. ? 



Range. Northern Abyssinia and Eritrea (Bogos Land). 



Size larger. Wing 117-120 mm., average 118. Throat 

 and upper breast pale with a very faint tinge of red. Back 

 antl underparts lighter. 



A bird from Kullo, southern Abyssinia, appears to be 

 intermediate both in size and coloration. 



When writing the above I overlooked the fact that a bird 

 which I take to be the same had been described by Zedlitz 

 (Orn. Monatsb. 1908, p. 177) as R. r. pusilla, a subspecies 

 not of R. rufigula, but of R. rupestris. The obvious step 

 after that is the inclusion of R. rufigula as a subspecies of 



