days of their flight, wheu one, more venturesome than his brothers and sisters, crept to 

 the edge of the nest and fell over. After vainly trying to replace their dead offspring, 

 the disconsolate parents, althougli their nesting was nearly over, repaired tlie broken 

 tube to prevent a recurrence of the catastrophe." 



"In Damara Land," writes Mr. Andersson, " this Swallow courts the society and 

 neighbourhood of man, and, where permitted, will unhesitatingly enter his dwellings and 

 construct its nest and rear its young in tlie midst of the household duties of the family. 

 The nest is built of clay, and at first resembles in shape that of Hirundo ricstica ; but 

 gradually the hollow bowl is narrowed into a tube of some extent. If the nest be 

 destroyed at this stage, the poor bird at once sets about repairing the damage, but 

 generally contents itself with rebuilding the dome, to which a narrow entrance is added. 

 I have known a pair of these Swallows reconstruct their nest three times in one season, 

 the female depositing a nearly full complement of eggs on each occasion. At the Cape 

 this species commences its incubation towards the latter end of September or early in 

 October, but in Damara Land it is somewhat later. The eggs are four or five in number, 

 of a pure white, dotted over with minute brown spots." 



The descriptions are taken from birds in the British Museum. The figures in the 

 Plate, which represent a fully adult and a somewhat younger bird, are from birds in 

 Captain Shelley's collection. 



