OCR Text |
Show 314 MR. R. B. SHARPE ON ETHIOPIAN HIRUNDINIDEE. [May 12, Of this rare bird I have only seen the single specimen in the British Museum, from which I have taken the above description. The nostrils being rather injured in this specimen, I can hardly give a decided opinion; but from what I could see, I am not at all sure that this species is a typical Hirundo. It seems likely that Drs. Finsch and Heuglin, who agree in uniting the West-African with the South- African bird, are right in this identification ; but I cannot speak with certainty, as I have never seen specimens from both localities. 12. HIRUNDO RUFULA. Hirundo rufula, Temm.; Brehm, Journ. f. Orn. 1853, p. 453. Cecropis rufula, Vierth. Naum. 1855, p. 472. Cecropis alpiestris, Heugl. Syst. Uebers. p. 16 (1856). Hirundo alpestris, Heugl. Orn. N.-O. Afr. i. p. 158 (1869) ; Blanf. Abyss, p. 346 (1870). Head and upper part of the back rich purplish blue, with the usual white streaks on the top of the back; wing-coverts like the back, but slightly duller; quills blackish brown, grey on the inner web, the outer web glossed with dull purplish blue, having a slight greenish tinge ; lower part of the back sienna, shading into very pale fulvous on the rump ; upper tail-coverts rich purplish blue; tail blackish brown, glossed on the upper surface with purplish green; space between the bill and the eye pale fulvous; a narrow line of feathers extending backwards over the eye, ear-coverts, sides of the neck, and a collar encircling the neck sienna, very deep in some specimens; cheeks and entire under surface pale fulvous-white, covered with small longitudinal streaks marking the shaft of the feather, these streaks disappearing on the abdomen; the apical portion of the under tail-coverts purplish green; bill black; feet dark brown. Total length 7 inches, wing 4*8, tail 4*0. Hab. Egypt (Brehm) ; Nubia (Brehm) ; Koomayli (Blanford). This species is not included in Riippell's list; but the above-mentioned authorities entitle it to a place in the avifauna of Northeastern Africa. I prefer keeping this species under the name of Hirundo rufula of Temminck, inasmuch as there can then be no doubt as to the bird intended, and I am pretty certain that two distinct species have been confounded under the variously assigned names of H. alpestris, Pall., H. daurica, Linn., and H. rufula, Temm. I can by no means positively determine what the Swallow intended by the two first-named authors really is; but as no mention is made of the pale-coloured rump which forms so striking and important a feature in the bird now under consideration, I cannot consider it to be identical with Pallas's species. At the same time I have a specimen of H. rufula, identical with others from Palestine, in m y collection from Dauria; but unless we receive positive information that no other Swallow, save H. rufula, is found in Dauria, whence came Pallas's type, we gain nothing; and until I am in possession of a larger series of these Cecropine Swallows to settle the matter, I prefer to employ Temminck's name, as then there can be no confusion. |