280 



818. Hirundo smithii. The Wire-tailed Swallow. 



Hirundo smithii, Leach, App. to Tuckey's Voy. Congo, p. 407 (1818) ; 



Sharpe, Cat. B. M. x. p. 150 : Oates in Hume's N. $ E. 2nd ed. ii, 



p. 188. 

 Hirundo filifera, Steph. Gen. ZooL xiii, p. 78 (1826) ; Blyth, Cat. 



p. 197 ; Horsf. $ M. Cat. i, p. 93 ; Jerd. B. I. i, p. 159 ; Anders. 



Yunnan Exped., Aves, p. 650 ; Hume, Cat. no. 84 ; Barnes, Birds 



Bom. p. 79. 

 Uromitrus filiferus (Steph.\ Hume, N. 8f E. p. 75 j Oates, B. B. i, 



p. 307. 

 Leishra, Hind. 



Coloration. Forehead, crown, and nape chestnut ; sides of the 

 head and neck and the whole upper plumage with the wing-coverts 

 glossy steel-blue ; quills and tail dark brown, margined with steel- 

 blue; all the tail-feathers except the two median pairs with a 

 white spot on the inner web ; the whole lower plumage white. 



The nestling has the chestnut of the head replaced by brown, 

 and the chin, throat, and breast are tinged with pale fulvous. 



Bill, legs, and feet black ; iris dark brown (Bingham). 



Length to tip of ordinary feathers of the tail about 5 ; tail to 

 end of ordinary feathers 1*8 ; outer tail-feather with lengthened 

 shaft about 7 in male, somewhat less in female ; wing 4-6 ; tarsus 

 45 ; bill from gape -55. 



The Wire-tailed Swallow of India is quite identical with the 

 Wire-tailed Swallow of Africa. 



Distribution. The whole peninsula of India as far south as Mysore 

 and the Nilgiris ; this Swallow is apparently absent from, or rare in, 

 Bengal, Assam, and Upper Burma, but reappears in Pegu and Tenas- 

 serim. It ascends the Himalayas to a considerable height in the 

 summer, and appears to be a constant resident in the plains. It 

 extends to Africa and is found in various parts of that continent. 



Habits, dfc. Breeds from January to December, according to 

 locality, constructing a small cup-shaped nest under bridges and 

 culverts, and also under rocks in the immediate vicinity of water. 

 The eggs, three or four in number, are whire marked with various 

 shades of brown and red, and measure about '72 by -53. 



819. Hirundo fluvicola. The Indian Cliff-Swallow. 



Hirundo fluvicola, Jerd., Blyth, J. A. 8. B. xxiv, p. 470 (1855) ; 

 Jerd. B. I. i, p. 161 ; Blanf. J. A. 8. B. xxxviii, pt. ii, p. 172 ; 

 Hume, J. A. 8. B. xxxix, pt. ii, p. 115; id. Cat. no. 86 ; Barnes, 

 Birds Bom. p. 81 ; Oates in Hume's N. 8f E. 2nd ed. ii, p. 191. 



Lagenoplastes fluvicola (Jerd.}, Hume, N. 8c E. p. 80. 



Petrochelidon fluvicola (Jerd.], Sharpe, Cat. B. M. x, p. 200. 



Coloration. Forehead, crown, and nape dull chestnut, with black 

 shaft-streaks; back and scapulars glossy steel-blue; rump and 

 upper tail-coverts dull brown, with narrow pale margins ; wings 

 and tail dull brown ; lores and upper part of the ear-coverts dark 



