THE ZooLocist—Marcu, 1876. 4841 
roller in Great Britain is by Sir Thomas Brown in 1664, and the next, 
apparently, by Borlase in 1765 (see p. 41 of additions to Borlase, ‘ Natural 
History of Cornwall,’ in the ‘Journal of the Royal Institution of Cornwall’). 
This latter is said to have passed into Donovan's collection, which was 
dispersed in 1817. Linneus, with his usual accuracy, says that rollers feed 
on small frogs, which is perfectly true.—J. H. Gurney, jun. 
The Barn Swallow of America,—I have a specimen of the American barn 
swallow (Hirundo horreorum, Barton), which is interesting from the place of 
capture. I am told by the taxidermist of whom J purchased it that his 
nephew caught it on board ship, three hundred miles off the island of Cuba. 
The following are points of distinction, given in the ‘ North American Birds’ 
(vol. i., p. 339), between the English swallow and the American—too much 
stress must not be laid on them, as they are very variable :—‘ Hirundo 
rustica is perfectly distinct, though closely allied. It differs essentially 
from the American H. horreorum in much longer outer tail-feathers, and in 
having a very broad continuous collar of steel-blue across the jugulum, 
entirely isolating the chestnut of the throat; the abdomen appears to be 
much more whitish than in the American species.” The supposition that 
H. horreorum is a visitor to this country (Zool. 5035, 5039; ‘ Birds of 
Middlesex,’ p. 124) has met with no confirmation. General opinion decided 
that it must be the Egyptian swallow (H. Savignii, Steph.), which, from 
geographical reasons, was more likely, and which in the adult bird has the 
under parts dark chestnut ; but now the opinion seems to be that it is only 
examples of H. rustica (which in a certain state of plumage are very chestnut 
underneath, though not so much so as H. Savignii), which have been mis- 
taken for something rarer in different parts of Europe. Mr. Dresser says 
that he has “‘as yet failed in finding any example of Hirundo Savignii from a 
' locality north of the Mediterranean” (‘ Birds of Europe,’ pt. xxxvii.)—Id. 
Late Swallows and Martins.— On the 13th of November last martins were 
seen by my friend Mr. Montagu Knight, of Chawton House, in this neigh- 
bourhood, and in the previous year swallows were flying on the 12th and 
martins on the 2Ist of November.—Thomas Bell; The Wakes, Selborne, 
Alton, Hants ; January 24, 1876. 
Swallows in December.—Straggling members of the Hirundines were 
occasionally seen up till the end of November, but the snow at the beginning 
of the following month seemed to cut short their wanderings. On the 
morning of the 14th or 15th of December, almost before the sun had risen, 
I saw three swallows flying dreamily and silently about a stack of chimneys 
in the street. The snow had disappeared, but there had been a sharp frost 
during the night, and the swallows, which were doubtless birds of the year, 
looked quite out of place skimming over the frost-covered tiles of the houses. 
Where could they have been, and what were their powers of abstinence ?— 
G. B. Corbin. 
