1870.) MR. R. B. SHARPE ON ETHIOPIAN HIRUNDINIDA, 293 
getting the bird, I stayed at the plantation the whole of the next day, 
keeping a sharp look-out, till at last my patience was rewarded by 
observing the Swallow about 5 o’clock in the afternoon flying round 
in company with the Swifts. As it came once pretty near, a well- 
directed shot secured the bird; but, as bad luck would have it, the 
upper mandible and almost the entire head were blown away by the 
discharge, so that it was quite spoilt for preserving. However 
curious the appearance of a House-martin so far south may have 
been, there was no question about the identity of the species, the 
feathered legs setting all doubts on this point at rest. The natives 
of Prince’s Island who saw me kill the bird were as much surprised 
as myself, never having seen the species before on the island. I 
may add that this was the only time I met with Hirundo urbica 
during my travels in Western Africa.” 
2. CHELIDON ALBIGENA. 
Chelidon albigena, Heugl. Journ. f. Orn. 1861, p. 419; ed. Orn. 
N.-O. Afr. p. 169 (1869). 
Ch. offinis Ch. urbice, sed rectrice extima macula alba basin 
versus notata distinguenda. 
Hab. Bogos Country (Von Heuglin). 
Never having seen the present bird, I am unable to furnish a 
detailed description. According to Dr. von Heuglin it is allied to 
Chelidon urbica, but differs in the circumscribed cheek-stripe, the 
searcely forked tail, the colour of the abdomen, and the white spot 
on the inner web of the outer tail-feather. This last character 
appears to me to be the most striking, and will serve to distinguish 
the species. Dr. von Heuglin obtained his specimens in the neigh- 
bourhood of Keren in the Bogus Country, where, however, it was 
not met with by Messrs. Blanford and Jesse. 
Genus 3. PETROCHELIDON. Type. 
Petrochelidon, Cab. M. Hein. Th. i. p.47(1857). P. melanogaster. 
1. PETROCHELIDON SPILODERA. 
Hirundo spilodera, Sundey. CEfv. Kongl. Vet. Akad. Forh. 
Stockh. 1850, p. 108 (descrip. orig.) ; Gray, Hand-l. of B. i. p. 70 
(1869). 
Phedina spilodera, Bonap. Rivist. Contemp. Torin. 1857, p. 4. 
Hirundo lunifrons, Layard, B. of 8. Afr. p. 56 (1867, errore). 
Hirundo alfredi, Hartl. Ibis, 1868, p. 153, pl. 4 (descrip. orig.). 
Head dark brown, obscurely glossed with dark blue; lighter 
brown towards the nape; back and scapularies deep blue, the 
feathers edged latitudinally with white, giving a striped appear- 
ance to the whole back, the scapularies and wing-coverts just faintly 
edged with rusty white ; the lower part of the back blue, not marked 
with the stripes; rump and upper tail-coverts pale rufous; wing- 
coverts and quills brownish black, a slight blue:gloss on the latter and 
