remainder of under surface pale fawn-colour, paler in the centre of the hreast ; under tail coverts 

 fawn-colour, the long ones black, edged and tipped with fawn-colour. 



The sexes, when adult, appear to be absolutely alike in colour, nor is there any difference in size. The 

 amount of spotting on the throat, however, varies considerably, even in sjiecimens apparently 

 quite adult and shot at the same time of year. Thus, a male procured by Colonel Butler near 

 Newcastle in October has scarcely any black spots on the throat, while another pair procured in 

 the same month in the same locality have the throat profusely spotted. We imagine that the 

 birds which show the greatest amount of spotting are older individuals, and that the black band 

 across the lower throat is a sign of immaturity, as it is present in a marked degree in the 

 nestling. 



Hah. South-eastern Africa from the vicinity of Grahamstown to the interior of Natal, the Orange Free 

 State, and the Transvaal. 



The occurrence of a species of Petrochelidon in South Africa is especially interesting, 

 particularly when it is discovered that its nearest ally is the Cliff-Swallow of North 

 America {Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) \ and this fact is the more important when taken in 

 conjunction with the fact of the Rough-Winged Swallows being confined to the conti- 

 nents of Africa and America, showing a curious affinity in the relations of the Swallows 

 of these two distant regions. 



The present species was first made known to science hy the late Professor Wahlberg, 

 w r ho discovered it in Caffraria in 1849. The " Caffraria " of that day was the Transvaal 

 of the present, and this Swallow has been re-discovered in that country by Mr. Ayres. 

 It was first described by the late Professor Sundevall as Uirundo spilodera, the specific 

 name indicating the white streaks on the back, which are a prominent feature in this 

 and so many other species of Swallow. It was afterwards found within the precincts 

 of the Cape Colony, and was identified by Mr. E. L. Layard in 1867 as the North- 

 American P. lunifrons (i. e. P. pyrrhonota). In the following year Mr. Ayres sent 

 home specimens from the Transvaal, and these were described by Dr. Hartlaub as 

 Hirundo alfredi, being named after H.P.H. The Duke of Edinburgh. In 1870 we were 

 enabled, by the examination of a typical specimen of PL, spilodera in the Leiden Museum, 

 to identify with it the more recently described H. alfredi. 



Mr. Layard writes : — " The circumstances of its re-discovery in Southern Africa 

 were very curious. The author was first led to a knowledge of this species by observing 

 an unusual appearance on an overhanging rock photographed near Middleburg during 

 the journey of H.B.H. Prince Alfred through South Africa in 1860. On applying a 

 strong magnifying-power to the picture, he distinctly made out that the appearance 

 consisted of a cluster of birds' nests. He at once concluded that they were constructed 

 by some kind of Swallow unknown to us, and requested our zealous contributor, Mr. 

 Jackson, to look well after them, if ever he found himself in the neighbourhood. This 

 he did, and tells us he counted about twenty nests, under a rock, clustered together." 



Mr. Ortlepp wrote to Mr. Layard from Colesberg : — " The nests are composed of 



