432 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected 



a mule, and, like the other throe, has the outer tail-feather 

 elongated. 



Dr. Sharpe has described (Bull. 13. O. C. xvi. 1906) 

 a Blue Swallow from the Mabira Forest, Cliagwe, Uganda, 

 as H. christyl. I cannot see any difi'ereuce between 

 this supposed species and H. air occer idea, and should be 

 certainly inclined to consider them identical. There are two 

 examples of H. cJiristyi, both males and both takeu iu the 

 Mabira Forest, on Aug. 7 and Sept. 11 respectively. I should 

 infer, therefore, that this bird winters in Uganda and comes 

 south in October to breed in the Eastern Transvaal and Natal. 

 The only two dated examples in the British Museum are 

 AVahlberg's, taken at Umvoti, Natal, Jan. 9, 1813, and 

 Seebolim's, taken at Lidgetton, Natal, March 29 ; these both 

 confirm my supposition. 



[''Nkonjane" of Zulus. The is the Zulu name for all 

 Swallows. 



This beautiful little Swallow was noted only from 

 Western Zululand and the North-Eastern Transvaal. I have 

 no data to shew whether or not it is resident in Zululand, as 

 it is stated to be in Natal, but certainly in the North-Eastern 

 Transvaal it is migratory, as it did not appear till the summer 

 season had set in. Its flight is graceful and usually close to 

 the ground, the birds choosing some shellered spot undei- 

 the lee of a wood or a road-cuttmg. The flight is seldom 

 long sustained, and tliey will perch both on posts and wire- 

 fencing or outstanding twigs of the trees. 



The male, which is easily distinguished on the wing by its 

 brighter colouring and the long filaments to the outer tail- 

 feathers, has a sweet warble or " song,^^ which is uttered only 

 on the wing. 



I was told by the natives in Zululand that this species 

 breeds in holes in the ground, after the manner of //. (jrlseo- 

 2>yga, and I saw females in the North-Eastern Transvaal enter 

 and leave holes in the hill-sides, but I did not succeed in 

 finding any actual nests. 



The soft parts arc : — Irides dark brown ; bill, legs and 

 toes black.] 



