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Show 1870.] ON THE COMMON SWALLOW. 245 No. 2. (Young, shot near Chichester by R. B. Sharpe on the 23rd of August, 1869.) Above dusky steel-blue ; forehead and eyebrow very pale sienna ; least wing-coverts narrowly margined with pale sienna, as also are some of the inner greater wing-coverts; tail forked, the spots tinged with buff towards the shaft ; throat pale sienna; band across the breast narrow, very dusky and mixed with sienna, which latter colour is very prominent on some of the feathers ; under surface of the body pale buff, flanks a little dusky. Total length 6*2 inches ; wing 4*8 ; tail, measured to tip of outer feather, 2*6. Another young bird, caught at Highgate on the 24th of September, 1869, differs in having the underparts a little less buff, the throat and frontlet deeper sienna. No. 3. (Obtained in the Cape Colony by Mr. F. R. Surtees, and given to us by him; mus. R. B. S.) Upper surface dusky brown, especially on the head, washed sparingly with steel-blue; quills and tail dusky brown with scarcely any greenish reflection, shafts dirty brownish white; the form of the frontlet marked with pale whitish feathers extending backwards above the eye ; throat quite white, with a tinge of rufous, apparently the remains of a red feather, on a few of the feathers on the sides of the neck ; below the white throat a band of dusky-brown feathers rather broad and mixed with a few pale rusty-coloured feathers in the centre; rest of the under surface of the body white, with just a tinge of buff on the lower part of the belly. Total length 6*2 inches ; wing 4*7 ; tail, measured as before, 2*65. This bird is probably a late-bred bird; his plumage is thoroughly bleached. He is just beginning to moult and put on his spring plumage; but no signs are apparent of the new feathers on the head and throat, the new feathers having a dark shaft. No. 4. (In changing plumage, from the Cape, also obtained by Mr. Surtees.) Above deep steel-blue, except the head, which is dusky brown, with a cluster of small blue feathers on the nape and sides of the head, and a few scattered over the crown; forehead only indicated by a fulvous mark, as in the preceding bird ; cheeks brown, just slightly washed with blue; quills blackish brown distinctly washed with bright greenish steel-blue, the first primaries worn and dull brown with light brown shafts (N.B. These have not been shed, while the other quills are lately donned); tail-feathers blackish brown washed with greenish steel-blue, the spots pure white without a tinge of buff; one outer feather lately put on and having a dark shaft, all the shafts of the others being light brown; chin white with a iew red feathers here and there, rest of the throat chestnut; a rather narrow breast-band, dark brown, becoming distinctly glossed with bright steel-blue, a few reddish feathers coming in the centre ; rest of the under surface of the body pure white with a suffusion of buff, deepest on the under wing- and tail-coverts. Totallength 6*6 inches; wing 4*6 ; tail, as before, 3*1. No. 5. (Also obtained by Mr. Surtees; mus. H. E. D.) Similar to the foregoing, but shows the coming rufous forehead, distinctly indicated by a frontlet of pale sienna, the upper surface brilliant |
