322 BULLETIN 15 5, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



the front except for the entrance hole. Most of the nests were 

 out of reach but half a dozen to which he could climb were only 

 partly completed. Another contained three heavily incubated eggs. 

 While some of the nests were only six feet from the floor of the 

 cave others were located in the ceiling sixty feet above. All were 

 placed where they were obscured by shadows so that they were not 

 easily seen. This species must be subject to heavy depredation 

 from the barn owl which also inhabits caves. 



Danforth in 1927 found large numbers nesting in the ruins of 

 the Citadelle of Christophe on August 2 and 3. From July 18 to 20 

 he observed many flying over mangrove swamps on Gonave Island. 



Ekman records numbers of swallows on Navassa Island, in 

 October, 1928, that may have included the present species. 



As there are few measurements available in literature of the 

 typical Petrochelidon fulva fulva from Hispaniola, the type 

 locality, the following (taken in millimeters) from our series will be 

 of interest : 



Eight males, wing 97.1-103.0 (99.5), tail 37.0-44.2 (41.6), culmen 

 from base 7.4-8.3 (7.9), tarsus 11.3-14.7 (12.5). 



Two females, wing 99.7-101.2 (100.5), tail 41.5-45.3 (43.4), culmen 

 from base 7.4-8.3 (7.9), tarsus 11.3-14.7 (12.5). 



These birds average slightly smaller than the size given by Eidg- 

 way 21 in specimens from Cuba, and differ from the Cuban birds 

 otherwise mainly in lesser extent of the chestnut area of the rump. 

 The latter appears to be the principal character separating Petro- 

 chelidon f. cavicola 22 of Cuba as a race apart from fulva. The 

 series of eleven adults from Hispaniola shows considerable variation 

 in depth of brown below, running from light to dark in different 

 individuals, with the white varying also in extent, so that the char- 

 acter pointed out by the describers of cavicola of greater extension of 

 brown below with the brown richer in color does not hold as this 

 is noted in various individuals in our series from Hispaniola. The 

 greater extent of the brown rump in Cuban birds is however easily 

 seen. 



The cliff swallow of Hispaniola is of medium size, from 120 to 130 

 mm. long, with short tail only slightly notched at the tip. The 

 back and crown are dark, steely blue with a metallic reflection, 

 while the rump, a band across the hind neck, and the forehead are 

 chestnut. Below the bird is white on the abdomen, and elsewhere 

 is light brown. 



21 U. S. Nat. Mus. Bull. 50, pt. 3, 1904, p. 53. 



22 Petrochelidon fulva cavicola Barbour and Brooks, Proc. New England Zool. Club, 

 vol. 6, Jan. 13, 1917, p. 52. (Preston, Nipe Bay, Province of Oriente, Cuba.) 



