1906.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 197 



will show :" Corpus totum supra cum remigibus, rectricibusque nigro- 

 nitens. Uropygium, gula, pectus, abdomen, crissum cinereo-fuliginosa."-^ 

 The upper surface in thespesia is by no means "nigro-nitens," being 

 dark brown, scarcely more blackish than the same part in Collocalia 

 leucophaea; while the rump is not of the same color as the dark gray 

 ventral surface, but is very much paler, even whitish. The description 

 of peruviana very much better fits Collocalia francica spodiopygia, to 

 which it should probably be referred. 



Collooalia francica francica (Gmelin). 



Hirundo francica Gmelin, Syst. Nat., I, ii, 1788, p. 1017. 



Hirundo francisca Vieillot, Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat., XIV, 1817, p. 525 



(Mauritius). 

 Hirundo francicB Lesson, Traite d'Ornith., 1831, p. 270 (Mauritius). 



Chars, sp. — Like Collocalia unicolor amelis, but somewhat smaller; 

 rather more brownish above, with a distinct broad whitish or brownish 

 white band across the rump; paler below, especially on the abdomen 

 and crissum; lining of wing paler, more brownish. 



Wing, 112-114; tail, 51-52; exposed culmen, 4-5; tarsus, 8.5-10 mm. 



Type locality. — Mauritius Island. 



Geographical distribution. — Islands of INIauritius and Bourbon; 

 ? Ceylon. 



This form bears some resemblance to Collocalia innominata, but is 

 of course much smaller ; more brownish above, with a paler rump band 

 which has not conspicuously darker shafts ; darker below, particularly 

 posteriorly, without noticeably darker shaft lines; and lacks feathers 

 on the tarsus. It seems to be confined to the Islands of Mauritius and 

 Bourbon, for although several times accredited to Madagascar its 

 occurrence there remains to be confirmed; and all the East Indian 

 records belong to other subspecies. 

 Collocalia francica townsendi subsp. nov. 



Chars, subsp. — Similar to Collocalia francica francica, but wing 

 longer; upper surface darker, more blackish, and more glossed with 

 greenish, the rump band on the contrary more whitish; low^er surface 

 darker. 



Geographical distribution. — Tonga Islands. 



Description. — Type, adult female; Eua Island, Tonga (Friendly) 

 Islands, November 28, 1899; C. H. Townsend. Upper parts, including 

 wings and tail, brownish black with a greenish metallic sheen, the inner 

 webs of the rectrices, especially on their basal portions, and particularly 

 the inner webs of the wing-quills, more brownish; a conspicuous 



28 /bid., p. 241. 



