78 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [1889- 



ON PRATINCOLA SALAX VERB. AND ALLIED SPECIES. 

 BY WITMEE STONE. 



While engaged in studying the Pratincolas in the Academy's col- 

 lection, I observed a specimen bearing Verreanx's printed label 

 marked as the type of Pratincola. salax Verr.* A comparison of this 

 specimen with the description of P. salax in Sharpe's Catalogue of 

 the Birds in the British Museum (Vol iv, p. 184), and with the 

 original description (Rev. et. Mag. de Zool. 1851, p. 307), led to 

 some interesting results. 



P. salax of Sharpe's Catalogue is evidently one of the P. rubetra 

 group, with a light-colored throat, while the type specimen now 

 before me belongs to the P. rubicola group, with the throat uniformly 

 black, and seems to be identical with P. sybilla from Madagascar. 



It is curious that the bird described by Sharpe should have been 

 referred to P. salax of Verreaux, as the original description distinctly 

 refers to a black-throated bird. Verreaux first describes the bird 

 as black — and then enumerates the parts which are differently 

 colored (" Nigerrima ; uropygio, collari interrupto, macula alarum 

 magna interna, abdomine albis ; pectore castaneo."') As no special 

 mention is made of the throat it is certainly understood to be black. 

 The more minute description following the Latin diagnosis agrees 

 precisely with the specimen before me, placing its authenticity be- 

 yond a doubt. 



Verreaux's bird is from the Gaboon, and with the exception of 

 some specimens collected by I)u Chaillu at Cape Lopez and River 

 Cam ma (Cassin, Proc. Phil. Acad.. 1859, p. 39) is the only black- 

 throated specimen recorded from this part of Africa. I cannot say 

 whether or not Cassin's determination of these birds was correct, as 

 a careful search through the Academy's collection has failed to dis- 

 cover Du Chaillu's specimens. 



The type specimen seems identical both in size and coloration 

 with one of P. sybilla from Madagascar and differs from the south 

 African form, P. torquata, in its smaller size, narrower bill, and in 

 the chestnut color being confined to the fore part of the breast. 



*This bird (No. 722 Acad. Catalogue) together with- several others of Ver- 

 reaux's types, was purchased by Dr. Thos. B. Wilson and presented to the 

 Academy with the rest of the Wilson collection. 



