70 



NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 



dorsales ; rectrices remigibus concolores ; caudd emarginatd, nee ford- 

 patd ; " agrees very well with the bird in question : but when he cOines 

 to advance that it is " stature hirundinis urbicce" and that " definitio 



to! 



ROCK SWALLOW. 



hirundinis riparice Linncei huic quoque convemit," he in some measure 

 invalidates all he has said ; at least he shows at once that he compares 

 them to these species merely from memory : for I have compared the 

 birds themselves, and find they differ widely in every circumstance 

 of shape, size, and colour. However, as you will have a specimen, I 

 shall be glad to hear what your judgment is in the matter.* 



* There is little doubt that the bird in question was the H. rupestris of Linnaeus. 

 In the correspondence of Linnaeus published in " Contributions" for 1849, he fre- 

 quently refers to this bird by name in reply to questions put by Mr. White's brother, 

 who had evidently written to Linnseus about it under that appellation. John 

 White was, in fact, Linnaeus's authority for this swallow, and first communicated 

 specimens to him from Gibraltar; Linnaeus says, "H. rupestris, mihi an tea 

 ignota ; vere distincta." 



