126 Mr. G. R. Gray on the Species 
localities for similar birds, as Gilolo, Celebes, and Oma in Am- 
boina. 
In 1750, Burman’s edition of Rumphius contains the nest and 
a rather more defined account of the bird than that which was 
published in Valentyn’s work. He says, in reference to the bird, 
“Tpsarum color plerumque niger et cum ceruleo fulgore, sique 
caudee plume separantur, in quavis penna alba conspicitur macula. 
Pectus et albo et nigro colore variegatus et maculatus est.” 
This author enters much into the general history of the Edible 
Swallows, and he records many more localities for this kind of 
bird than does Valentyn, viz. Java, Madura, Baley, Borneo, 
islands of Sean and Sanger, Siam, Cambodia, Cochinchina, 
China; and he also refers to Ternate, Amboina, and Ceram*. 
If we are to regard the remark which Thunberg made in 1772 
as well-founded, there seems to be some confusion between the 
description just quoted and the figure given in the same work. 
He says that the former meant esculenta, and that Rumphius’s 
son, who drew the figure, had fuciphaga for his pattern. 
Dr. Horsfield observes “ that the only authority for the specific 
character of Linnzeus was that of Rumphius,” which one might 
easily suppose if we take into consideration that it was the only 
work referred to by Linnzeus that contained tlie description of a 
bird in conjunction with the edible nest. 
Mr. Wallace, in 1863, adopts Dr. Horsfield’s view, and endea- 
vours to show that Rumphius’s description and the characters of 
Linneeus refer to one and the same bird; and he further states, 
they “are so clear and precise that there can be no doubt 
whatever about the identification of the species.” But I cannot 
agree that this identification of the description with any of the 
known species is as yet “so satisfactorily determined,” because 
Rumphius speaks of the concealed white spots on the tail-feathers 
* Tt will be seen by this arrangement of habitats that Rumphius does not 
imply that his bird was from Ternate (as Valentyn does), nor, in fact, does 
he give any peculiar locality, but rather seems to record a number of places 
as the abode of this kind of Swallow. He appears to give the preference 
to the Malay Islands, &e:, and then after them he records three of the 
Molucea Islands. Now the small bird of the Malay Islands is not furnished 
with spots, as is mentioned in the description, but has a uniform-coloured 
tail. It is probable, therefore, that Rumphius may have had in view that 
of the Moluccas, as spots are only found on the tails of those birds ob- 
tained from the last three localities mentioned by him. 
Though Valentyn states that his example was obtained at Ternate, yet 
he appears to have overlooked the spots; for they are not mentioned in his 
description. 
With regard to the other localities mentioned, I believe it may be right 
to state that the birds have not been recorded of late as found im Siam, 
Cambodia, Cochinchina, and China, but that the nests have been carried 
to those places from the Malay Islands as an article of commerce. 
