Middendorff found tlie Swallow only an accidental visitor at Tourouklian'^k. Sclircnck 

 states that it is common and numerous in the Amoor country, appearing about the middle 

 of May, as they were building plentifully on the 2nd of June. They are great favourites 

 ■with the natives and are protected by them. 



Speaking of the work of Middendorff and Schrenck, Dr. Stejneger gives the following 

 interesting note on the distribution of Sirimdo gutturcdls and IL. tytleri : — '' Usually it 

 is nearly impossible to extricate the observations belonging to the different forms, but in 

 this case the difference between Chelidon gutturalis and C. tytleri was too great for even 

 von Schrenck to ignore altogether, though he by no means suspects them of being 

 separable, much less understands the importance of keeping them separate. Portunately 

 his remarks enable us to decide which forms he and Middendorff collected ,at two very 

 important localities. Speaking of the ' ILlrundo gutturalis, var. rufa,' which he found 

 throughout the Amur Valley (Ecis. Amur-Lande, i. p. 387), he observes that it was ' much 

 paler than the old male among Middendorif's specimens from Udskij Ostrog, and only 

 slightly darker than the old male of the European Barn-SAvallow . . . The black band of 

 the fore neck is only narrow and contains some rust^'-brown spots.' This description is 

 quite sufficient to identify the Amur Valley bird as C. gutturalis, while, on the other 

 hand, the remark jjlainly shows that the bird which Middendorff collected at Udskij 

 Ostrog, at the mouth of the Uda Valley, is Chelidon tytleri. This determination is 

 extremely interesting, since the valleys of the two rivers Amur and Uda are close 

 together, only being separated by tlie Bureja Mountaius ; but the direction of the Amui- 

 and Ussuri is southern, while Uda comes from the west. The Stanovoj Mounttiins, 

 which imtil this point run close to the shore of the Okotsk Sea, make lierea sudden bend 

 to the westward, leading over to Dauria and Transbaikalia. According to Middendorlf 

 (' Isepijitesen PlussL' p. 125), Vossnessenski met 'Hirundo rustica, var. rufa, at Ajan.' We 

 also know that Chelidon tytleri is common on the western coast of Kamtschatka. Wc 

 know that it does not travel southward over the Kuril Islands and Japan. It seems, 

 then, a pretty safe conclusion that the Swallow at least crosses the Okotsk Sea from 

 some point on the western coast of Kamtschatka, and that when arriving on the opposite 

 coast of the Okotsk Sea it meets the Stanovoj Mountains, and lollows the eastern slope 

 of that range southwards, turning westwards at Udskij Ostrog, where the mountains also 

 turn westward." 



Mr. Kalinowski met witli the i^resent species in the Corea, and pvorurcd six speci- 

 mens near Seoul. He says that it is common, but leaves during the winter. 



Mr. Seebohm states that the Eastern Chimne^'-Swallow is connnon in all the 

 Japanese islands ; and Mr. Jouy gives the following note on the species in that count ry : — 

 "These birds are familiar olyects, flying through the streets and darling iiitn th(> native 

 houses through open doors. Almost every house in a ihipanese town has one or more 

 little wooden shelves, placed just inside the door on (jne of tlic rafters of tlie ceiling, on 

 which the Swallows build tlicir nests and rear their young. >.'or is their confidence 

 misplaced; they are as sacred on lluir hliclf as any of the iKiiu-elKild gods, an oiler of 

 money for which is considered an iiiMilt. 1 In'licvc these Swallows rarely build rlscwhcro 



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