26 LIST OF BIKDS IN MANIPUR, 



by me as tytleri, and I was surprised to find them solitary in 

 flocks of rustica, out of which their rich colouring led me 

 to pick and shoot them ; but on careful examination I find 

 that they are merely richly coloured rustica and not tytleri. 

 In S. F., VI, p. 42, I pointed out the differences between 

 this latter and cahirica, but I do not think I have ever 

 noticed the points by which tytleri may be separated from 

 richly coloured rustica. 



However pale the und^r surface of adult rustica or gutiura- 

 lis, the frontal band is always a deep chestnut. This is never 

 the case in tytleri, however deeply the lower surface may 

 be tinted ; the frontal band is always a rusty ferruginous, more or 

 less dull or intense, but never chestnut. There is an analogous 

 though less marked difference in the colouring of the throats in 

 the two species. Again, however deeply tinted, the lower 

 surface of rustica or gutturalis, the throat is always consider- 

 ably deeper coloured than the breast and abdomen, but in 

 the fullest coloured tytleri, the colouring of throat, breast 

 and abdomen are absolutely identical. Lastly, in perfect 

 adults of rustica and gutturaliSy the pectoral gorget is un- 

 broken (as in cahirica), while in tytleri it is in such invari- 

 ably much broken towards the middle where the throat 

 colour extends unaltered on to the breast. 



These distinctions are founded on a very large series of 

 Dacca specimens (whence Jerdon's type came). I find in my 

 museum many birds entered as tytleri, from other localities 

 which I now recognize to be only abnormally richly tinted 

 rustica or guttural's (they are not deeply coloured enough 

 for cahirica), and I fear I may have given away and sent to 

 museums some such as tytleri. But if so, all I can say is 

 it is my mistake ; they are not tytleri, in every specimen 

 of which, from Dacca, the above distinctions hold good. I have 

 many true tytleri from other localities also, but amongst 

 those so catalogued in our museum, about five per cent, turn out 

 to be only abnormally coloured rustica or gutturalis, chiefly 

 no doubt the latter, which as a race runs more rufescent 

 than the larger form. 



82^er. — Hirundo tytleri, Jerd. 



Doubtless the true tytleri does occur in Manipur ; indeed I 

 have twice noted having seen it near the capital, but during 

 my visit I never actually shot it ; all the Swallows I shot and 

 preserved are clearly rustica. This is the more remarkable 

 because Godwin- Austen says that during his visit this was 

 the only form in Manipur during February and March ; but 

 I'jtleri is a very irregular migrant, and while some years 



