BUFOUS SWALLOW. 93 



confirm me in my belief that this species is identical with daurica, as 

 I had before supposed. I have in reality received from Siberia 

 specimens of daurica which have the nuchal collar complete, and as 

 to the brown streaks below the body being more or less marked, 

 they are no doubt so according to age, of which I have proof in its 

 congener, melanocrissa. The name of daurica ought to stand with the 

 addition of a very doubtful race, which may be called rufula — H. 

 rufula 1 



"Edward Newton's Sw,allow, (Ibis, 1859, p. 462,) seen between 

 Cairo and Alexandria, in Egypt, was probably H. melanocrissa. M. 

 Jaubert, of Marseilles, has, I believe, figured and described in his 

 work, 'E,ichesses Ornithologiques, etc' the H. rufula of Marseilles. 

 The work being at my country residence, I cannot quote it with 

 certainty at this moment. My mounted specimen is without indication 

 of sex." 



In Mr. Simpson's very interesting account of some of the Birds of 

 Western Greece, (Ibis, vol. ii., p. 386,) I extract the following about 

 the nesting of H. daurica: — '' H. rufula f daurica J is still more 

 singular in its nidification, always fixing its nest under a cave or pro- 

 jecting slab of rock. In the little Klissoura, and throughout the 

 precipices of Aracynthus, there are plenty of these caves, in former 

 times a convenient refuge for the Klephtsas ; they are now for shepherds 

 tending their flocks during the winter months. This eccentric Swallow, 

 not satisfied with having a good dry cave all to himself, must needs 

 construct a long passage to his nest; thus giving it the shape of a 

 retort, with the upper part cut away, and the remaining portion glued 

 underneath a fiat surface. The entrance is narrow, but the passage 

 gradually widens till it finally opens into a sort of chamber, very 

 warmly lined with feathers; here the little fellow and his mate are 

 sure to be most snugly tucked in just after sundown, when they cannot 

 see to catch any more insects. Escape therefore is impossible when a 

 ruthless ornithologist wishes to capture the pair for the sake of 

 identifying their eggs. No more than one pair ever seem to occupy a 

 cave, though the remains of previous nests could occasionally be traced 

 on the roof. The same pair appear to return year after year, and their 

 nest, unless injured by shepherd boys during the winter, will merely 

 require a little touching up to render it again habitable. The fact 

 of the same birds returning was proved by these caves being 

 untenanted, where the pair had been captured during the preceding 

 year. Several nests with eggs were found towards the end of May 

 and beginning of June, 1859. Four seems about the complement; 

 they are quite white, much resembling eggs of H. urhica, which could 

 be well passed off for them in collections. 



