IN LIBERIA. 201 



strongly glossed with greeu instead of blue. Frontlet, chin 

 and throat in the male very rich, in the female somewhat 

 less chestnut-brown , lower surface and under wing-coverts 

 in the male rusty red , in the female whitish with only a 

 tinge of rusty. Quills and tail-feathers fully developed in 

 the male, less so in the female. Wing of the male 12 cM., 

 of the female 11,2 cM. Outermost tail-feather of the male 

 9,2 cM., of the female 6,8 cM. 



N.B. A male specimen , in the collection of Mr. Crom- 

 melin at Haarlem, shot 14 May 1890 near Haarlem, shows 

 the same rich coloration as the two above mentioned males, 

 but the wing measures only 11,5 cM., the outermost tail- 

 feathers, however, surpass those of the Liberian male, 

 measuring 10,3 cM. in length. 



Like Sharpe and Dresser (P. Z. S. L. 1870 , p. 244—249) 

 have shown already , our Swallow , at the time of its arri- 

 val in the winter-quarters , has the under surface nearly , 

 some of them (N° c of our series) even pure white, and 

 the plumage is very much worn. But shortly after the 

 arrival (not only short before their departure, as is said 

 by Sharpe and Dresser, p. 247) the white color of the 

 uuderparts by moulting becomes deep buff (see our speci- 

 mens d and e of Nov. 15"*) and does not change any more 

 before the birds leave for more northern regions. The moult- 

 ing of the different parts of the plumage takes place in 

 the following order: back and rump, wing-coverts, be- 

 ginning with the lesser , lower surface and under wiug- 

 coverts , crown and hind neck , secondaries and innermost 

 tail-feathers , primaries , beginning with the inner ones , 

 and outermost tail-feathers. This complete moult is thus 

 going on very slowly and takes about the whole time of 

 their stay in the winter-quarters. 



5. Hinmdo nigrila^ Gray. — Mahfa River. 

 *6. Cypselus apus (L.). 



An adult female , shot at Robertsport , Nov. 7*'' , plumage 

 not different from that of our European bird. 

 7. Eurystomus afer (Lath.). — Robertsport. 



JS'otes from the JLieyden JMuseum, Vol. XII. 



