HYPUROLEPIS DOMICOLA.

Bungalow-Swallow.

Hirundo domicola, Jerd. Madr. Journ. of Lit. and Sci, vol. xiii. p. 173.—Blyth, Cat. of Birds in Mus. Asiat. Soc.
Calcutta, p. 198.—Jerd. Birds of Ind, vol. i. p. 158.—Horsf. and Moore, Cat. of Birds in Mus. East-
Ind. Comp., vol. i. p. 384.—Bulge. in Proc. of Zool. Soc., 1866, p. 568.—Moore in Proc. of Zool. Soc.,

part xxl. (1854) p. 264.—Mottl and Sclat. in Proc. of Zool. Soc., 1863, p. 217.—Blyth in Ibis, 1866,
p. 336.

 

Tr Bungalow-Swallow of India, and the bird (from the Feejee Islands) described by me, in the ‘ Proceedings
of the Zoological Society of London’ for 1856, as Hirundo subfusca, constitute a well-marked division of the
Hirundinde, for which Lesson’s generic appellation of Herse would have been adopted; but that term
having been previously employed, I propose in lieu of it that of Hypurolepis. The two birds above mentioned
differ from most of the Swallows, and particularly from the members of the genera Hirundo and Cecropis, in
the breadth of the bill, in the compact form of the body, and in the shortness of the tail. I conceive that
the Australian Welcome Swallow, Hirundo neoxena, should also be placed in this genus, an opinion which
is strengthened by the absence of any thoracic band, and the presence of spots on the under tail-coverts.

It is much to be regretted that but little information respecting the range, habits, and economy of
f1. domicola has been recorded by the various writers on ornithology. My own collection contains
two examples, one kindly forwarded to me from India by Dr. Jerdon; the other was obtained by Mr.
Wallace in the island of Lombock. It would be interesting to know if these are the extreme limits of the
range of the species north and south, and if the intermediate countries are favoured with its presence. It
would perhaps be an error to say that the sexes are alike in their plumage and marking; yet, judging
from the specimens above mentioned, I think it likely that such is the case.

“Hitherto,” says Mr. Jerdon, “I have only procured this little species on the Neilgherries, nor has it
been noticed in any other part of India; but in passing hurriedly through Bangalore I saw some Swallows
flying about, which I believe to have been of this species, and some nests in a verandah of a house there,
which must, I think, have also belonged to this bird. It is also found in Ceylon, at Penang and other parts
of Malayana, extending to Java. I found it breeding at Ootacamond, chiefly in deserted bungalows and
outhouses, and also at the Government wooden bungalow at the Avalanche. The nest was small, open at
the top, and profusely lined with feathers: the eggs were white, spotted with reddish brown, and two or
three in number. It also breeds in houses at Newera Elia in Ceylon.”

Captain Bulger states that he found this species ‘“tolerably abundant at Wellington in the Neilgherry
hills, at about 6000 feet above the sea-level, in April and May 1866.”

The late Mr. Mottley records that this bird was brought to him by his hunter from the Dyak in Borneo.

Forehead, chin, throat, and upper part of the breast cbestnut-red; remainder of the head, back of the
neck, back, lesser wing-coverts, scapularies, and upper tail-coverts deep steel-blue ; wings black, slightly
tinged with blue; tail the same, with a mark of white on the inner web, and near the tip, of al but aoe
centre feathers ; under surface light brown, the feathers on the centre of the abdomen with paler tips ;
under tail-coverts black, tipped with dull white; bill black; feet brownish black. | |

I may remark that but for the slight prolongation of the outer feather on each side, the tail of this bird

might be described as square.
The figures are of the natural size.