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HIRUNDO PUELLA. 373 
nearly white, the outermost tail-coverts steel-blue; tail brownish 
black, glossed with greenish steel-blue, the middle feathers without 
any white spot, the next two on each side with a small white spot on 
the inner web, and so on till the last, where the white spot is very 
large ; under surface buffy white, the shaft of each feather strongly 
marked with brown, these shaft-streaks very minute on the throat 
and cheeks; sides of body marked with pale sienna; under tail- 
coverts white, with very distinct shaft-stripes; “bill black; legs 
and irides brown” (Shelley). Total length, 7°8 inches; culmen, 
0°35; wing, 5-1; tail, 4-1; tarsus, 0°6. 
Fig. Buff. Pl. Hul. 723, fig. 2. 
3899. Hrrunpo rugetia, Temm. Smaller Stripe-breasted Swallow. 
This is a diminutive of H. cucullata, and differs from that species 
by its smaller size and broadly striped under surface, which has the 
appearance of being profusely spotted with black. It was first 
observed by Dr. Hdwin Atherstone near Grahamstown, and we 
ourselves afterwards saw it, in company with Mr. G. Atherstone, in 
the open space near the fort at Committee’s drift (in the Eastern 
province). Here it was in large flocks, perching freely on the 
ground, and we were assured by the hotel-keeper that it had bred 
there: this we can easily believe, as we shot both old and young 
birds. We have since scen specimens from Natal, and the late 
Mr. Frank Oates shot the bird at Tati in Matabili Land, in October, 
1874, along with H. cucullata. Dr. Kirk states that 1t was observed 
during two successive seasons, building in the house at Shupanga, 
on the Zambesi, in the months of December and January : it was 
not seen elsewhere, and was absent during the dry season. It isa 
well-known species in Western and North-eastern Africa. 
Adult.—Head and back of neck pale sienna; back and scapulars 
bright steel-blue ; wing-coverts steel-blue, but rather duller ; lower 
part of back and rump deep sienna; quills brownish black, glossed 
with dull greenish blue; tail-feathers brownish black, glossed above 
with greenish steel-blue, with a large white spot on the inner web of 
all but the two centre ones; underneath buffy whitish, profusely 
marked with broad longitudinal stripes of dark brown; under wing- 
coverts deeper buff; bill and feet black ; iris black. Total length, 
7-8 inches; culmen, 0°3; wing, 4°2; tail, 4°8; tarsus, 0°. 
Fig. Riipp. Syst. Uebers. pl. 6. 
