

Okdee PASSERIFORMES.] 



[Family HIRUNDINIME. 



PETROCHELIDON NIGRICANS. 



(AUSTRALIAN TREE-SWALLOW.) 



Petrochelidon nigricans (Vieill.), Buller, Birds of New Zealand, vol. i., p. 74. 



This Tree- Swallow only occurs in New Zealand, at long intervals, as a straggler from 

 Australia. 



I have already recorded several well-authenticated instances. 



In 1898 I received the following interesting note from Mr. William Townson, of West- 

 port : " About two years ago I was at Mokihinui, and saw a couple of Australian Tree- 

 Swallows hunting flies about the head of an old rata in a bush clearing. I watched 

 them for some time, but did not manage to get a specimen." 



The same informant assures me that the species has been seen at Westport, in small 

 numbers, for several years in succession. 



Several further instances have been recorded of the occurrence in New Zealand of flights 

 of the Australian Tree-Swallow. Mr. H. Guthrie- Smith, writing to me from Tutiri Lake, 

 on August 20th, 1893, says : " While up at the Mahia last week, I observed some 

 birds like Martins or Swallows. They have been there for some weeks, I believe. They 

 were flying high above some blossoming gum-trees when they were first pointed out to me. 

 It was a dark afternoon ; but, as far as I could see, their tails were not forked. I should 

 be much obliged if you could tell me to what species they belong. Could they be a flight 

 of Hirundo nigricans ?" 



Mr. James Dall, of Collingwood, also wrote to me, under date of June 25th, 1893 : 

 " During this spring, summer, and autumn there have been large numbers of Australian 

 Swallows or Martins visiting New Zealand — apparently all parts, as I see by a late Canterbury 

 Times that a pair have built a nest and are hatching young ones in a mill about Oamaru, 

 where they are being greatly cared for by every one. In the spring of 1892 flocks of two 

 or three dozen were observed in the neighbourhood of Cape Farewell." 



I have no doubt that these visitants are referable to the above species. 



Mr. A. J. North has published the following note : " This species is to be found 

 throughout the whole of Australia, Tasmania, and the southern portion of New Guinea. 

 It arrives in New South Wales and Victoria in August, and leaves again at the latter end 

 of February. It deposits its eggs, three in number, in the decayed wood of a hollow 

 branch, or a bole of a tree. The ground colour is of a pinky-white, covered with minute 

 freckles of light rusty brown, particularly towards the larger end, where, in some instances, 

 interrupted with lilac spots, they form a zone. Others, again, are pure white, with a few 

 fine dots of light red." 



Vol. if— 15 





