OCR Text |
Show 1870.] MR. R. B. SHARPE ON ETHIOPIAN HIRUNDINIDEE. 313 web elongated and much attenuated, two centre feathers purplish blue, unspotted, the rest having a roundish white spot on the inner web ; under surface white, faintly tinged with pink on the throat and upper part of the breast; a crescent-shaped patch of feathers on each side of the latter dull purplish blue; bill black ; feet dark brown. Total length 5*7 inches, wing 4*3, tail 2*85. Young. Crown dull brown ; rest of the upper surface of the body brown, glossed with dull blue ; tail quite square, or only slightly emarginate ; underparts white, beautiful light pink on the throat and upper part of the breast. Hab. Casamanze (Leconte); Chisalla Island, Congo (Tuckey); Benguela (Anchieta); Zambesi (Kirk); Dongola, Berber, Kordofan, Bahr-el-azrag, and Abyssinia between 2500 and 3000 feet altitude (Heuglin) ; Agula (Blanford). Lord Walden considers that no differential characters can be found to separate the Indian and African examples of this species. As regards myself, I have not seen a sufficient number of specimens from Africa to warrant m y giving a decisive answer on this point; but as far as m y experience goes I am inclined to differ from his lordship. I have examined several specimens from Africa, but have never met with any one so fine as those which we get from India; but on the other hand, I have seen Indian specimens not fully grown which it would be impossible to distinguish from the ordinary run of African specimens. The description and measurements are taken from a bird, apparently fully adult, from the Zambesi, in Lord Walden's collection. That of the young is taken from a specimen in the British Museum, collected by Livingstone at Tette. 11. HIRUNDO GRISEOPYGA. Hirundo griseopyga, Sunder. (Eiv. Kongl. V. Akad. Forh, Stockh. 1850, p. 107 (descr. orig.); Layard, B. of S. Afr. p. 55 (1867). Atticora griseopyga, Heugl. Orn. N.-O. Afr. p. 149 (1869). Atticora melbina, Verr. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1851, p. 310 (descr. orig.); Strickl. Contr. to Orn. 1851, p. 163; Hartl. Journ. f. Orn. 1853, p. 398 ; Miill. Journ. f. Orn. 1855, p. 3; Hartl. Orn; Westafr. p. 25 (1857); Cass. Proc. Phil. Acad. 1859, p. 33 ; Hartl. Journ. f. Orn. 1861, p. 103. Hirundo melbina, Strickl. Contr. to Orn. 1851, p. 131. Atticora cypseloides, Heugl. Journ. f. Orn. 1862, p. 297, et 1864, p. 276. Entire head, lower part of back, and rump dull brownish grey; middle of the back and wing-coverts dark blue ; quills brownish black glossed with dull blue ; tail dull brown, glossed above with blue ; lores black ; a narrow line of feathers extending backwards over the eye whitish; cheeks and ear-coverts dull grey-brown; under surface of the body milky white, the sides of the upper part of the breast being greyish brown; bill and feet pale brown. Total length 5*8 inches, of wing 3*9, tail 3*3. Hab. Natal (Wahlberg); Gaboon (Verreaux); Camma River (Du Chaillu) ; Cape Lopez (Du Chaillu) ; Abyssinia (Heuglin). |