496 
2 
Adult Male (Piedmont, 28th April). Crown, nape, back, and scapulars deep steely bluish black; wings and 
tail blackish, with a very faint metallic gloss; wing-coverts similarly coloured; rump and upper tail- 
coverts white, some of the lowest of the latter broadly terminated with deep steely blackish blue; tail 
forked, the outermost feather 0:85 inch longer than the central one; entire underparts pure white; the 
flanks slightly tinged with grey; under wing-coverts whitish ; legs and feet closely covered with short 
hair, like white feathers; bill black; iris deep brown. Total length about 5:5 inches, culmen 0°38, 
gape 0°5, wing 4°4, tail 2°6, tarsus 0°52. 
Female. Similar to the male. 
Young from the nest (Belgium). Differs from the adult in having the upper parts dark sooty brown, with a 
slight steel-blue gloss here and there; the breast and flanks are washed with buffy grey, and the tail is 
very short and not forked. 
THE present species inhabits Europe generally during the summer season, migrating southward 
in the winter, at which season it is found in Africa. To the eastward it has certainly been met 
with in Asia as far as Persia; but it is difficult to say with certainty if it ranges further east than 
that country. 
In Great Britain it is a common summer resident, arriving a little later than the Swallow, 
remaining with us to breed, and leaving again for the south in the autumn. Generally distri- 
buted throughout England, it is also met with in almost equal numbers in Scotland, as far north 
as Sutherland and Caithness; but, according to Mr. Robert Gray, it is altogether wanting in the 
Outer Hebrides, though common in Skye, Mull, and Iona; and Messrs. Baikie and Heddle say 
that it breeds at Kirkwall, in Orkney. In Ireland, as in England, it is generally distributed, 
and common. It is a rare visitant in Iceland; and Faber states that in June 1819 they com- 
menced to breed at Husevig, in Northern Iceland, but soon left. It occurs not unfrequently in 
the Feroes in the spring; but Mr. Benzon informs me that there does not appear to be any 
instance of any having ever remained there to breed. 
In Scandinavia it is common in the southern and central districts, but rarer than the 
Swallow in the extreme north. Mr. Collett says that it breeds in colonies throughout the 
eastern parts of Norway, but is less numerous on the west coast, though not uncommon, and 
breeds commonly in some places, as, for instance, at Bergen. On the fells it breeds in and 
above the birch-region, in colonies in the rocks on the Fillefjeld, Hugakollen in Valders, the 
Kvamenaaset in Oie, the Blaahderne, and other places in the Dovre range. Pastor Sommerfelt 
says that it breeds here and there in Kast Finmark, as far north as Vard6; and, according to 
Wolley, a colony breed in a cliff near the Bogfjord, in South Varanger. In Sweden it is like- 
wise common throughout the country during the summer season, extending into Lapland, 
arriving somewhat later and leaving a little earlier than the Swallow. I met with it in almost 
all parts of Finland I visited; but it appears not to range as far north as the Swallow; ‘for 
Magnus von Wright did not observe any further north than Aavasaksa, a little above Tornea. 
In Russia, as elsewhere, it is generally distributed and common. Meves met with it as far 
north as Archangel; and Sabandaeff says that in the Ural he observed it as far north as about 
60° N. lat. In the Baltic Provinces, Poland, and Germany it is common during the breeding- 
season ; and the same may be said as regards Denmark. Mr. A. Benzon, writing to me from 
