358 BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA. 
that formerly these birds were unknown to them, and when first 
seen they appeared in small numbers, which is not the case now, as 
I saw hundreds hawking about in the neighbourhood. I calculate 
that at least two thousand will be hatched at this place this season.” 
We were informed that in 1870 they bred at Sidbury, about twenty- 
eight miles from Grahamstown, and we are indebted to our kind 
friend Dr. Exton for specimens of the birds and eggs taken in 
Bloemfontein in the Orange Free State. 
Mr. Thomas Ayres has procured the species in the Transvaal, 
where it also breeds. The specimens sent home by this last-named 
naturalist were described by Dr. Hartlaub as Hirwndo alfredi, but 
a comparison of specimens showed that the species was identical 
with Hirundo spilodera, described by Sundevall in 1850 from 
“ Caffraria.” 
Adult.—Head dark brown, obscurely glossed with dark blue, 
lighter brown towards the nape; back and scapulars deep blue, the 
feathers edged laterally with white, giving a striped appearance to 
the whole back ; the scapularies and wing-coverts just faintly edged 
with rusty white ; the lower part of the back blue, not marked with 
the stripes ; rump and upper tail-coverts pale rufous; wing-coverts 
and quills brownish-black, with a slight blue gloss on the latter and 
on the extremities of the quills; tail brownish black also slightly 
glossed with blue; a patch of feathers in front of the eye pale 
sienna; cheeks, ear-coverts, and sides of the neck dark blue; chin 
white, the throat tinged with sienna and covered with little black 
spots ; below this a blackish band marked with whitish ; under sur- 
face of body white, washed on the flanks and upper part of the breast 
with sienna, with a few scattered black spots on the breast; under 
tail-coverts and vent pale rufous, some of the former entirely black 
and the others rufous with a blackish spot. Total length, 5-9 
inches; culmen, 0-4; wing, 4°5; tail, 2-1; tarsus, 0°5. 
Fig. Harti, Ibis, 1868, pl. IV. 
344. CoryLE CINCTA. Brown-collared Sand-Martin. 
The first specimens of this bank Swallow reached us from Capt. 
Bulger, of H,M. 10th Regiment (2nd Batt,), who procured it at 
Windvogelberg, on the frontier. We subsequently, in October, 1865, 
discovered it about 14 miles from Cape Town, hawking about a 
small stream; it was there in some abundance. We again recognized 
