Hab. Ethiopian Ecgion generally ; and in Asia from Baluchistan, throughout the greater part of the 

 Indian peninsula to Burmah and Tenasserim. 



This very elegant Swallow is fouud in Africa and India, being much more plentiful aud 

 more widely distributed in tbe Indian than it is in the Ethiopian Region. Its rufous 

 cap, blue back, white iinderparts, and wire-like tail-feathers form a combination of 

 characters which render the species easily recognizable. 



In Africa it would appear to be decidedly local, for there are vast tracts of the 

 continent in which it is apparently absent. Mr. Gould mentions having seen a specimen 

 from the River Gambia, aud it has been recorded by Dr. Hartlaub as bavin"- been 

 obtained by Aiibry Lecomte on the River Casamance. Dr. de Rochebruue states tliat it 

 is common enough in Senegambia, aud that he found it at Albreda, Zekinkior, Saiuto- 

 Marie, Sedhiou, and Melacoree. 



We have no record of its further occurrence in AVest Africa till we arrive at the 

 Congo region. Here it was originally discovered on Chisalla Island during Captain 

 Tuckey's expedition, and M. Louis Petit also procured specimens at Landana. Seuhor 

 Anchieta has met with it at Benguela, Gambos, and Capangombein the southern portion 

 of the Portuguese province of Angola. Sir John Ku'k fouud it at Tete on the Zambesi, 

 and the late Professor Peters procured it in Mozambique. 



Von Heuglin gives the following account of its distribution in Xorth-eastern 

 Africa : — " Resident in Dongola, accoi'ding to Brehm, and is recorded l)y Ilartmanu as 

 the House-Swallow of the Upper Nile." It" was found by Von Heuiilin himself in 

 Dongola, near Berber, in Kordofan, on the Bahr cl Azraq, and in Abyssinia l)("t\v(>en 

 2500 and 6000 feet above the sea-level. Brehm mentions its occurrence on tb(> Abys- 

 sinian coast-land, and it is probably also met with in Arabia. During the expedition 

 to Abyssinia, Mr. Blanford only saw this Swallow once, when he shot a pair sitting 

 together on a spray overhanging a small stream near Agula, about halfway between 

 Adigrat and Antalo. The late Marquis Antinori met witli tlie species on the IMue Nile, 

 and received a specimen from Khartoum. He likewise oljtained it at Daiinbi in Sluia, 

 in March 1882. 



Von Heuglin described a new Swallow as nimndofusc'icapilhu which lie found "in 

 large flocks in Central and Western Abyssinia, in thick forest, generally resting on trees.'' 

 This supposed new species is evidently the young of //. smlf/iii, though it is remarkalile 

 that the traveller met with nothing 1)ut brown-headed birds. 



In the Indian region the Wire-tailed Swallow has a wide raiu^e. which we will 

 endeavour to trace, the dislribulion being very fully accdunlcil for by the spcciniens in 

 the Hume collection. It extends to the westward into Afghanistan. Sir ()li\ci- St. .Inhu 

 having forwarded to Mr. Hume a specimen from tbe Kandah;ir (li^-lriit ; and {'.ipi.-iiii 

 Wardlaw Ramsay records its occurrence in (he Kurruni xallcy. and sl.ilcs that it is 

 probably found in the Hariab district. Z^lr. ^Murray notes it Inun (^luetta. .Mr. Hume 

 did not himself i)roeure the species in Sind, but he has received a s|icciineii froni 



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