3 



Total length. Wing. Tail, 



in. in. in. 



0. Ad. Tati (F. Oates) 6-8 4-15 :5-8 



i?- Ad. „ „ 6-3 4-2 31 



g. Ad. Shnpanga, {Sir J. Kirk) CrO 4-15 3-1 



r. Ad. Kitui (/. Hildebrandt) 7-6 4-25 5-85 



s. ? ad. Mombasa (/. Hildebrandt) 6-0 4-05 3-4 



t. Ad. Mombasa [T. Wakefield) 6-5 4-0 •''0 



u. Ad. Abyssinia 6-3 4-2 'VIT, 



V. ? ad. Dongolo, Tigre [W. T. Blanford) 58 4-1 3-1 



w. (J ad. Eayrayguddy {W. Jesse) . ■ 7-0 4"25 3-8 



a?. Ad. „ „ 60 4-1 2-8 



y. cJ ad. „ „ 7-0 4-2 3-85 



As will be seen by the above measurements, there is great difference in the length of tail-feathers 

 exhibited by the series in the British Museum, and in some specimens the long tail-feathers are so 

 produced and so narrow as almost to equal in extent the remarkable plumes of the Wire-tailed 

 Swallow {Hirnndo smithii). This attenuation and elongation of the outer tail-feathers appears 

 to be a sign of age, and the character is not confined to specimens from any one locality. Those 

 from the Gold Coast seem always to have rather shorter tails and also to have more rufuus on the 

 sides of the body and under wing-coverts. 



Althotjgh of the same form as Ilirundo CKcrdlata, this species is conspicuously .>^malk'r 

 in bulk, riclier in colour, and much more broadly and plentifully streaked with Ijlack on 

 the underparts. 



It was first observed in South-eastern Africa by Dr. Atherstone, near Grahamstown, 

 and Mr. E. L. Layard also saw the species in an open space near the fort at Committee's 

 Drift in the eastern district of the Cape Colony. Here, says Mr. J^ayard, " it was in 

 large flocks, perching freely on the ground, and we were assured by the liotcl-koojuT 

 that it had bred there; this we could easily believe, as we shot botli uhl and ycniii^' 

 birds." Major H. Trevelyan has presented to the British Museum a specimen slmt ncMr 

 Kingwilliamstown. 



We have received several specimens from Natal, and ^^Ir. T. I.. Ayrcs lias sent 

 adults collected in October, and a young bird procured on tlie 11th of starch \u-av rino- 

 town. It does not seem to have been met with in the Transvaal ; but tlu> late ^{v. Frank 

 Oates obtained two adult birds at Tati, in Matabole Land, on llie Ith and .'ih uf ( )ctolicr. 

 Mr. Jameson also ol)taine(l the present species on the I'mvuli llixcr on the \>.\ df 

 October. He says: — "This SwaUow, wliicli had just arrixcd in sni.ill p.arli(<, was 

 immediately pairing olf and commcneing to build, hut \\a'< by im mrans ph'ntifuh" 

 Specimens procured liy Sir John Kirk at ShupauLia, on the Shire lli\iT, are in tno 

 British :Museuni. It was ojjserved hy him on the Zaniliesi during two successive seasons, 

 building in the niunths of l)ecenil)er and .biiiuiiry in the liouse at Shupanga ; it was not 

 seen elsewhere, and was al)sent during the (h-y season. 



