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Show 292 MR. R. B. SHARPE ON ETHIOPIAN HIRUNDINIDEE. [May 12, Subfam. II. HIRUNDININEE. Conspectus generum Hirundininarum. a. tarsis plumosis 2. Chelidon. b. tarsis nudis. a', naribus supra membrano haud obtectis. a', naribus rotundatis 3. Petrochelidon. b". naribus ovalibus 4. Phedina. b'. naribus supra membrano obtectis. a", rectrice extima haud producta 5. Cotyle. b1'. rectrice extima producta ; cauda furcata. a'", tarso superiore nudo 6. Waldenia. b'". tarso superiore plumoso 7. Hirundo. Genus 2. CHELIDON. T Chelidon, Boie, Isis, 1822, p. 550 Ch. urbica. Claris specierum. a. pogonio interno rectricis extimse fuliginoso-nigra 1. urbica. b. pogonio interno rectricis extima basin versus albo notato .... 2. albigena. 1. CHELIDON URBICA. Chelidon urbica, Riipp. Neue Wirb. p. 106 (1835); id. Syst. Uebers. p. 22 (1845) ; Bolle, Journ. f. Orn. 1854, p. 460 ; Miill. Journ. f. Orn. 1855, p. 3 ; Heugl. Syst. Uebers. p. 17 (1856) ; id. Journ. f. Orn. 1861, p. 419 ; Brehm, Reise nach Habesh, p. 272 (1863); Heugl. Orn. N.-O. Afr. p. 168; Blanf. Geol. & Zool. Abyss, p. 349 (1870). Hirundo urbica, Keul. Ned. Tijdschr. iii. p. 384 (1866). Hab. North-eastern Africa and Arabia (Heuglin, av. migr.); Koomayli (Blanford); Cape Verde Islands (Bolle); Ilha do Principe (Keulemans). Dr. von Heuglin states that this species is " a bird of passage in North-eastern Africa and Arabia, in February and March, and again from August to the beginning of October, partly singly, partly in great flocks, in company with other species." Mr. Blanford shot a female at Koomayli on the 2nd of February, 1868. Dr. Bolle (l. c.) refers to its appearance in the Cape Verde Islands in great swarms in April 1852 at Fuertaventura. They disappeared as suddenly as they came. The most extraordinary fact in relation to the migration of the present bird is its occurrence in Prince's Island, on the West Coast of Africa. Here Mr. Keulemans shot it under the circumstances mentioned in the accompanying note with which he has favoured me :- " During the month of January I was living at a plantation about 1500 feet above the sea-level, and I was one evening very much surprised to see a Swallow flying round my house. I had before often seen Swifts (Cypselus abyssinicus), but never a Swallow before in that neighbourhood. As it was rather late in the evening, and I had no small shot in m y gun, I was obliged to let it go, hoping to see it again afterwards. Fearing lest I might lose the chance of |