THE BIEDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
difficulties in connection with this bird, is that it appears to lose its fuD 
breeding-plumage while it is still engaged in breeding. The North Indian 
birds are easily separated from Mediterranean birds in summer-plumage by 
the characters noted by Saunders, viz. obviously darker under - coloration, 
especially of the upper-breast, and smaller size. A series of breeding birds from 
Ceylon differ from the North Indian birds in their hghter under-coloration, 
though agreeing in their small size. These I propose to name 
Hydrochelidon leucopareia leggei, subsp. n. 
South African birds are again quite different from Mediterranean, as 
pointed out by Saunders. They are very dark-coloured above ; so much so 
that the black cap does not seem well-defined, the deep sooty on the abdomen 
is scarcely darker than the plumbeous on the breast, while the throat is such 
a deep grey that the white “ moustache ” stands out more prominently than 
in any other form ; the axillaries are deep smoky-grey. From the darkest 
Indian birds they are easily separated by their superior size. I propose to 
name them 
Hydrochelidon leucopareia delalandii, subsp. n., 
as in the Gomptes Bendus Sci., Paris, Vol. XLII., p. 773, 1856, Bonaparte 
introduced the name Hydrochelidon delalandii {leucopareia ex Cap-b-Spei 
Mus. Par.), but no description has since been offered. Saunders noted that he 
had examined the bird so named in the Paris Museum, and that it belonged 
to this species. 
A series of birds from Foochow, China, agree quite closely with Allahabad 
(India) birds in their under-surface coloration, but have the throat much 
lighter — almost white, and are constantly shorter in the wing. These I name 
Hydrochelidon leucopareia swinhoei, subsp. n. 
Birds from Thatone, Tenasserim, and Lower Pegu, seem to provide 
another race, but as the type of S. javanica Horsfield from Java is a winter- 
bird just commencing to assume the summer-plumage, it may be that it was 
a straggler from the north. A series from the Togian Isles are all in winter- 
plumage, apparently confirming the suggestion that they have travelled from 
the north. In our imperfect acquaintance with the movements and distribution 
of these birds in the East, it seems best to use Horsfield’s name to cover the 
preceding at this juncture. 
Gould described the East Australian bird as attached : — 
Hydrochelidon fluviatilis. Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc., 1842, p. 140. 
Hyd. fronte, vertice, et nucha nigris ; corpore superiore, alls caudaque pallide cinereis ; 
facie et gula albis, hoc colore gradatim ad pectus cinerescente et hoc ad abdomen necnom 
ad latera nigrescente. 
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