288 



-BIRDS.- 



-HlKUNDIKIO.E. 



southern stations, and it is i^^^^^^^^^^Ktainty that 

 they ever breed in Souther^^^^^^^^^hon notices 

 that it disappears from sdHH^^^Bg the hot 

 season, and suggests that it may breed in the north of 

 India, or spread still further over the Asiatic continent. 

 It seems not improbable that both these suppositions 

 maybe correct; for, according to Captain Hutton, these 

 birds breed freely at Candahar during the sununer, 

 building their nests in temples, open rooms, verandahs, 

 and similar places. They seem to arrive at Candahar 

 -very early in the spring, as Captain Hutton says he lias 

 observed them there on the 5th of February, flying 

 about with the thermometer at 30°. They leave the 

 region of Candahar in October. 



THE WIRE-TAILED SWALLOW {Hirundo filifera), 

 another Indian species, distinguished from the pre- 

 ceding by having the extremity of the tail nearly even, 

 with the two outer feathers very long and almost 

 thread-like, is one of the most elegant of the Swallows. 

 It is not common in the southern parts of the Indian 

 peninsula, where it is always seen about water ; but in 

 the north it is very common, frequenting fields and 

 gardens, as well as the \'icinity of water. It usually 

 flies in small parties of four or six, and builds a small 

 saucer-like mud nest in holes of old walls and build- 

 ings, and on tlie sides of walls. Colonel Sykes describes 

 this bird as presenting a veiy beautiful appearance 

 when flying, with its thread-like tail feathers floating 

 behind it. 



THE CAPE SWALLOW {Hirundo capemis), which is 

 a summer inhabitant of the Cape of Good Hope, and, 

 indeed, of the southern part of the African continent 

 generally, is another species very nearly allied to our 

 Chinniey Swallow, for which, indeed, it might easily 

 bo mistaken when flying. Like the common English 

 Swallow, it is met with principally about inhabited 

 places, and is so familiar as to enter the houses and 

 build its nest against the walls and rafters. This pro- 

 ceeding is viewed with great satisfaction by the human 

 inhabitants of the dwellings, who regard the swallows 

 as birds of good omen. The nest is built with clay, 

 worked in the same way as that of the Common 

 Swallow, but the architectural powers of the South 

 African bird are for greater than those of its European 

 relation, for the nest, instead of being a mere cup, is 

 closed on all sides, so as to form a hollow ball, to the 

 interior of wliich access is obtained through a long 

 tunnel. This cosy dwelling is lined with a profusion 

 of the softest featliers. 



THE AUSTRALIAN CHIMNEY SWALLOW {Hirundo 

 frontalis), qaV^A the Wi;i,c<iM[; Swallow (//. neoxena) 

 by Mr. Gould, is a most beautiful representative of our 

 Chimney Swallow at the very opposite side of the globe. 

 Indeed this species was formerly supposed to be 

 identical with the Panayan Swallow above referred to, 

 and this again has been confounded with the Chinmey 

 Swallow of Europe, so that it will easily be seen that, 

 notwithstanding its station at the antipodes, the Aus- 

 tralian Swallow is very nearly related to our well-known 

 Jittle visitor. The plumage of the upper part of this 

 bird is deep steel blue ; the forehead, ohm, throat, and 

 upper part ot the chest, nasty red ; the remainder of 

 the lower surface is nearly white : the wings and tail 



1-- - 



are brownish black, and all the feathers of the latter, 

 except the two middle ones, Iiave an oblique spot of 

 white on the inner web. 



Like our own swallows, this bird is Uiigratory, jiassing 

 the summer, and breeding in the southern parts of 

 Australia and in Van Diemen's Land, but departing on 

 the approach of winter to the more genial climates of 

 the north. It arrives in New South Wales at the end 

 of August or early in September, where it is welcomed 

 by the colonists as the harbinger of spring ; and one 

 can easily understand that the sight of a creature so 

 like a familiar friend of the old country, cannot but be 

 pleasant to the eyes of those who are separated from 

 the scenes of their youth by half the circumference of 

 the "globe. Hence Mr. Gould proposed to call it the 

 Welcome Swallow. 



The habits of the Australian Chimney Swallow agree 

 very closely with those of our common species ; like 

 this it breeds twice in the season, and builds a nest of 

 a cup-like form, composed of mud bound together with 

 straws and grass. The interior of the cup is lined with 

 line grass, and finally with a layer of soft feathers, 

 upon which four spotted eggs are laid. The natural 

 breeding places ol these birds are clefts and caverns in 

 the rocks; but it is a remarkable circumstance that 

 since the colonization of Australia by Europeans, the 

 swallows have acquired the habit of associating them- 

 selves with man, building their nests about tlie sheds 

 and outbuildings, and even evincing a decided hking 

 fur the chimneys. 



THE TREE MARTIN {Hirundo nigricans), another 

 Australian species, migrates like the preceding, and 

 arrives in the southern colonies about the same time. 

 It is also a familiar bird, taking up its abode in the 

 to'OTis without the least fear ; but, unlike the preceding 

 swallow, it builds no nest, but breeds in tlie holes of 

 trees, where it lays its eggs on the soft dust usually 

 met with in such places. 



THE FAIRY MARTIN {Hirundo arid) is a beautiful 

 little Australian sjiecies, in which, as in the preceding, 

 the tail is short, and rather notched than forked at the 

 end. The Fairy Martin has the crown of the head 

 rod ; tlie plumage of the back deep steel-blue ; the 

 rump and all the lower surface white or whitish. Each 

 featiier of the throat has a very fine brown line down 

 its centre, so that this part has a delicately streaked 

 appearance. This charming little martin arrives in the 

 south of Australia in tlie month of August, and departs 

 again to the northward rn February or March ; m the 

 interval it produces from two to three broods. It is 

 remarkable that, according to Mr. Gould's observations, 

 this bii'd seems to bear an antipathy to the sea-coast. 

 He says that lie never heard of its being within twenty 

 miles of the sea, although at that distance inland it was 

 to be met with in profusion. In its habits it resembles 

 our Martui, and when' it builds about houses selects 

 similar positions for its nest. The nest, however, is of 

 a different form, being shaped somewhat like a bottle, 

 attached by its bottom, with a more or less curved 

 neck protruding horizontally. 



THE AMERICAN BARN SWALLOW {Hirundo cry- 

 Ihroijastcr), one of the most abundant of the North 

 American Swallows, was formerly supposed to bo 



