PETROCHELIDON TIMORIENSIS. 



TIMOR CLIFF-SWALLOW. 



Mirundo nigricans (nee Vieill.), Wallace, P. Z. S. 1863, p. 485. 

 Petrochelklon timoriensis, Sharpe, Cat. Birds in. Brit. Mus. s. p. 192 (1881). 



P. similis P. nigricanti, sed minor, uropygio ct corpore subtus fumoso lavatis. 

 Hub. in insulis Moluccauis 'Timor' et ' Flores ; dictis. 



Adult male. Similar to P. nigricans, but very much smaller in size, and distinguished by the dark smoky- 

 brown colour of the rump, the smoky colour of the under/parts, and the greater extent of the 

 shaft-striping, which is very distinct and continues over the throat, breast, and entire sides of the 

 body. Total length 4"5 inches, culmen 0'3, wing 3'65, tail 1"65, tarsus 0"4. 



In the other two examples in the British Museum the wing measures 3'6 and 3 - 75 inches 

 respectively. 



Hub. Island of Timor, and probably Flores. 



The characters above given sufficiently describe the difference between the Timor Cliff- 

 Swallow and its congener from Australia. They scarcely amount to specific distinctions, 

 and are perhaps characteristic of an island race only. Three specimens are in the 

 British Museum, from Mr. Wallace's collection, all having been obtained by that 

 naturalist in the island of Timor. Mr. Wallace likewise records it as occurring in 

 Flores ; but we have never seen a specimen from the last-mentioned island, nor was there 

 one in Mr. Wallace's collection when it passed into the hands of the Museum. It is 

 quite possible, however, that he saw this Swallow flying about in the island of Flores, 

 in which case the species would no doubt be the same as that from Timor. 



The description is copied from the pages of the British Museum ' Catalogue.' 



