HIRUNDO. 267 



Boldsw., P. Z. S. 1874, p. 419; Murray, Vertbr. Faun. Stnd, p. 103 (1884). 

 Cecropis erythropygia, Gould, B. Asia,i. pi. 29 (1868); Jerd., Ibis, 1871, 

 p. 352 ; Blyth, B. Burm. p. 127 (1875); fairb. % Sir. F. 1876, p. 254. 

 Lillia erythropygia, Hume, Nests and Eggs, Ind. B. p. 76 (1873) ; id., Str. F. 

 1877, p. 255. The RED-RUMPED SWALLOW. 



Adult. General colour above deep purplish blue with white striations 

 where the bases of the feathers show through ; the wing coverts like the back ; 

 quills blackish externally, glossed with dull blue ; rump and upper tail coverts 

 deep ferruginous, the longer coverts deep purplish blue ; tail feathers blackish, 

 glossed with dull blue; crown of head like the back, from which it is 

 almost separated by a nuchal collar of deep ferruginous, the sides of the 

 hinder crown and sides of the neck being of the latter colour and converging 

 on to the nape, the nuchal collar being only interrupted by a few dark 

 blue plumes in the form of spots ; a narrow frontal line and a streak 

 over the eye deep ferruginous ; lores whitish, tipped with dusky ; ear 

 coverts pale rufous with dusky shaft streaks ; cheeks, throat, and under 

 surface of body whitish, slightly marked with rufous on the breast and 

 flanks ; the whole of the under parts narrowly streaked with dusky black- 

 ish shaft lines, disappearing on the under tail coverts, the long ones of which 

 are deep blue black with whitish bases ; under wing coverts and axillaries 

 rather deeper fulvous than the breast, with nearly obsolete dusky shaft lines, 

 which are, however, more plainly developed on the small wing coverts near 

 the edge of the wing ; quills dusky below, paler along the edge of the inner 

 web. (Sharps.) Bill, legs and feet black ; iris brown. (Legge.} 



Total length. 6'2 inches; culmeno'35; wing 4*45 ; tail 3'n j tarsus 0-5. 



Hab. All over India, to Nepaul, Himalaya, Siberia, N.-E. Asia, Persia, 

 Beloochistan and Afghanistan. In Ceylon rarely. Occurs in Sind, the 

 Deccan, Kutch, Kattiawar, Rajutana and N. Gujerat ; also the Punjab, N.-W. 

 Provinces and Oudh, Bengal, Central and Southern India. It is a permanent 

 resident of the plains of India, and breeds from April to August. The nest, 

 according to Hume, is usually fixed to the under surface of some ledge of 

 rock or the roof of some cave or building, and is constructed of fine pellets of 

 mud or clay, making up a tubular passage terminating in a bulb-like chamber, 

 some 4 to 7 inches in diameter. The eggs are pure white, and generally 

 four in number. The nest chamber is lined sometimes thickly and sometimes 

 thinly with feathers only as a rule, but occasionally with a mixture of these 

 and fine grass. During the breeding season the old birds, like all the other 

 species, fly round about their nest morning and evening, uttering quite a 

 variety of ratho? pretty somewhat musical notes. During the day they re- 

 main near, and one of them generally in the nest, or the pair may be seen 

 perched on some stone below the nest sitting for an hour at a time, preening 

 their feathers, the male every now and then singing a few notes. Hirundo 

 hyperythra is closely allied to this species, and is found in Ceylon. 



