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Show 310 MR. R. B. SHARPE ON ETHIOPIAN HIRUNDINIDEE. [May 12, Swainson gives no definite locality for his specimen, though we may conclude it is from Senegal, like most of his other West-African birds. It does not seem to have occurred there, however, from tbe record of other collectors, and the three localities mentioned above are the only ones that can positively be depended upon. It is a pretty little species, closely allied to H. dimidiata, Sund., with which Grill (Zool. Anteck. p. 36) seems to have confounded it; but it may always be distinguished by the conspicuous white alar bar, and the white on the tail. 8. HIRUNDO DIMIDIATA. Hirundo dimidiata, Sundev. (Efv. Kongl. V. Ak. Stockh. 1850, p. 107; Hartl. Ibis, 1862, p. 144; Layard, B. of S. Afr. p. 56 (1867); Chapm. Trav. in S. Afr. ii. p. 410 (1868); Layard, Ibis, 1869, p. 72 ; Gray, Hand-1. of B. i. p. 71 (1869). Hirundo scapularis, Cass. Proc. Acad. Phil. v. pl. 12 (1850) ; id. Cat. Hirund. Phil. Acad. p. 2 (1853). Hemicecrops dimidiata, Bonap. Rivist. Contemp. Torin. 1857, p. 4. Hemicecrops scaqmlaris, Bonap. Rivist. Contemp. Torin. 1857, p. 4. Hirundo leucosoma, Grill, Zool. Anteckn. p. 36 (1858, nee Sw.). Adult. Above purplish blue; quills brownish black, grey on the inner web, the innermost of the greater wing-coverts white, forming a white spot, which, however, is generally concealed hy the scapularies ; occasionally in very old birds a small white spot also appears on the innermost secondaries; tail brownish black, without any spots, glossed on the upper surface with dark blue, with a faint greenish lustre; entire under surface silky white, having in some specimens a certain woolly appearance, greyish in certain lights; on each side of the upper part of the breast a patch of dark blue feathers; bill black, feet brown. Total length 5*5 inches, wing 4*2, tail 2*6, tarsus 0*4. Young. Not nearly so bright above, and more distinctly tinged with greenish ; the white spot on the greater wing-coverts either absent altogether, or, when present, of a dull greyish colour and very little developed. Though belonging to the same section of the'genus Hirundo ; the present bird is certainly quite distinct from H. leucosoma, Sw., as it has no white on the tail-feathers, whereas the latter species has the greater part of the inner web white, as in H. lucida. W e may regard these Swallows as showing a slight aberration from true Hirundo and inclining to Waldenia, which is also a short-tailed Swallow ; and in its turn Waldenia leads to Progne. The late Mr. Cassin named this bird scapularis; and from the figure given (I. ci) it would seem as if it really possessed white scapulars, but this is a misnomer ; for on none of the true scapulars does this white appear. When I first began this paper I had very few specimens of Hirundo dimidiata for comparison ; but through the kindness of Mr. Layard and Mr. Surtees I have recently had several in all stages of plumage from apparently the young bird, when no trace of the white patch can be discerned, up to the very old |
