122 BIEDS OF EGYPT. 



81. HiRUNDO RUFULA, Temm. Rufous Swallow. 



This species ranges throughout Egypt and Nubia, but is 

 of rare occurrence. Towards the end of March I constantly 

 saw a pair flying over a marsh near Damietta, and on the 30th 

 of that month obtained one of them. Von Heuglin (Orn. 

 N. 0. Afr. p. 158) mentions that Brehm met with a specimen 

 in Egypt in company with H. nistica, and that he himself 

 observed it at Derr, in Nubia. 



Top of the head, back, and scapulars steel-blue ; back of 

 the neck and rump chestnut ; tail-coverts creamy white, tipped 

 with steel-blue; wings and tail brownish black, without a 

 spot, and slightly shaded with a green reflection ; underparts 

 cream-colour, with dark brown streaks on the shafts of the 

 feathers, more distinct on the throat ; under tail-coverts tipped 

 with black ; beak black ; legs and irides dark brown. 



Entire length 7 inches ; culmen 0'3 ; wing, carpus to tip, 

 4*7 ; tarsus 0'55. 



Fig. Gould, B. of Asia, part xx. 



82. Cottle rxjpestris (Scop.). Crag-Swallow. 



I have never seen an Egyptian specimen of this Swallow ; 

 and Von Heuglin observes that he never found it in any part 

 of North-eastern Africa; yet he includes it (Orn. N. 0. Afr. 

 p. 163), upon the authority of Brehm, who says that it is, 

 though rarely, to be met with in Egypt. I am, however, 

 very sceptical as to its ever having been found in that 

 country. 



Similar in plumage to C. obsoleta, but considerably larger 

 than that bird, and darker and browner on the flanks, abdo- 

 men, and under tail-coverts. 



