1870.] ON THE COMMON SWALLOW. 245 
No. 2. (Young, shot near Chichester by R. B. Sharpe on the 
23rd of August, 1869.) Above dusky steel-blue; forehead and eye- 
brow very pale sienna ; least wing-coverts narrowly margined with 
pale sienna, as also are some of the inner greater wing-coverts ; tail 
forked, the spots tinged with buff towards the shaft ; throat pale 
sienna; band across the breast narrow, very dusky and mixed with 
sienna, which latter colour is very prominent on some of the 
feathers ; under surface of the body pale buff, flanks a little dusky. 
Total length 6°2 inches; wing 4°8; tail, measured to tip of outer 
feather, 2°6. 
Another young bird, caught at Highgate on the 24th of September, 
1869, differs in having the underparts a little less buff, the throat 
and frontlet deeper sienna. 
No. 3. (Obtained in the Cape Colony by Mr. F. R. Surtees, and 
given tous by him; mus. R. B.S.) Upper surface dusky brown, 
especially on the head, washed sparingly with steel-blue; quills and 
tail dusky brown with scarcely any greenish reflection, shafts dirty 
brownish white; the form of the frontlet marked with pale whitish 
feathers extending backwards above the eye; throat quite white, with 
a tinge of rufous, apparently the remains of a red feather, on a few 
of the feathers on the sides of the neck ; below the white throat a 
band of dusky-brown feathers rather broad and mixed with a few 
pale rusty-coloured feathers in the centre; rest of the under surface 
of the body white, with just a tinge of buff on the lower part of the 
belly. Total length 6-2 inches ; wing 4:7; tail, measured as before, 
2°65. This bird is probably a late-bred bird; his plumage is 
thoroughly bleached. He is just beginning to moult and put on his 
spring plumage; but no signs are apparent of the new feathers on 
the head and throat, the new feathers having a dark shaft. 
No. 4. (In changing plumage, from the Cape, also obtained by 
Mr. Surtees.) Above deep steel-blue, except the head, which is 
dusky brown, with a cluster of small blue feathers on the nape and 
sides of the head, and a few scattered over the crown; forehead only 
indicated by a fulvous mark, as in the preceding bird ; cheeks brown, 
just slightly washed with blue; quills blackish brown distinctly 
washed with bright greenish steel-blue, the first primaries worn and 
dull brown with light brown shafts (N.B. These have not been 
shed, while the other quills are lately donned); tail-feathers 
blackish brown washed with greenish steel-blue, the spots pure 
white without a tinge of buff; one outer feather lately put on and 
having a dark shaft, all the shafts of the others being light brown; 
chin white with a few red feathers here and there, rest of the 
throat chestnut ; a rather narrow breast-band, dark brown, becom- 
ing distinctly glossed with bright steel-blue, a few reddish feathers 
coming in the centre ; rest of the under surface of the body pure 
white with a suffusion of buff, deepest on the under wing- and tail- 
coverts. Total length 6-6 inches; wing 4°6; tail, as before, 3-1. 
No. 5. (Also obtained by Mr. Surtees ; mus. H. E.D.) Similar 
to the foregoing, but shows the coming rufous forehead, distinctly 
indicated by a frontlet of pale sienna, the upper surface brilliant 
