308 
BIRDS OF BRITISH BURMAH. 
beyond the penultimate ones. The female has these appendages much 
shorter. 
The Wire-tailed Swallow appears to be rather an uncommon bird in 
Burmah. I have never met with it myself, but I have seen specimens in 
the Phayre Museum in Rangoon which were shot near this town. Capt. 
Wardlaw Ramsay procured it at Tonghoo. Mr. Davison met with it in 
Tenasserim only at Pahpoon, but Capt. Bingham observed it in the 
Thoungyeen valley. 
Dr. Anderson got this Swallow near Bhamo^ and it is probably found 
throughout the Indo-Burmese countries. It appears to be spread over the 
greater portion of the Indian peninsula and the Himalaya mountains up 
to an elevation o£ about 5000 feet. 
This beautiful Swallow seems to be found in much the same sort of 
localities as the Common Swallow, but it is perhaps fonder of water. It 
breeds both in the plains and hills of India_, placing its nest, which is made 
of mud_, under bridges and culverts_, and less frequently in out-buildings. 
The eggs, usually three in number, are white speckled with reddish. 
Genus HYPUROLEPIS, Gould. 
293. HYPUROLEPIS JAVANICA. 
THE TROPICAL HOUSE-SWALLOW. 
Hirundo javanica, Sparrm. Mus. Carls, fasc. iv. t. 100; Salvad. Ucc. Born. 1^.126 ; 
Bourdillon, S. F. iv. p. 374 ; Fairhank, S. F. v. p. 392 ; Hume ^ Dav. S. F. \i. 
p. 43 ; Hume, S. F. viii. p. 84; Legge, Birds Ceylon, p. 697 ; Hume, S. F. ix. 
p. 120. Hirundo domicola, Je7'd. Madr. Journ. xiii. p. 173 ; id. B. Ind. i. 
p. 158. Hypurolepsis domicola, Hume, Nests and Eggs, p. 73 ; id. S. F. ii. 
p. 155. 
Description. — Male and female. A broad band on the forehead the chin^ 
throat, upper breast, cheeks and ear-coverts deep ferruginous ; lores dusky ; 
upper plumage glossy black ; wings and tail dark brown, slightly glossy 
on the outer webs ; the tail with an oval spot on all the inner webs of the 
feathers except those of the central pair; lower plumage pale ashy, 
albescent on the abdomen ; under tail-coverts ashy, the feathers with white 
tips and subterminal patches of black. 
Length 5 inches; tail 2-1, depth of fork -3; wing 4*2; tarsus '4; bill 
from gape "65. 
The Tropical House-Swallow was procured by Mr. Davison at Mergui 
