318 



BULLETIN 15 3, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



CYPSIURUS PARVUS MYOCHROUS (Reichenow) 



Cypselus myochrous Reichenow, Journ. f. Ornith., 

 Tanganyika Territory. 



1886, p. 116: Karema, 



Specimens collected : 



One female, Konso, Sagon River, Ethiopia, April 7, 1912. 



One female, Giiaso Nyiro River, Kenya Colony, August 2, 1912. 



Two female adults and one female young, Tharaka District, 

 Kenya Colony, August 13, 1912. 



As w^as pointed out by Grote ^^ the generic name Cypsiurus Les- 

 son 1843 is not preoccupied by Cypsilurus Swainson 1839 (Pisces), 

 so Oberholser's name Tachynautes ^^ must be relegated to synonymy. 



The palm swift occurs throughout most of Africa and Madagas- 

 car and breaks up into at least four races, as outlined by Sclater ^'^ 

 and others. The range of myochrous as given in Sclater's list needs 

 emendation. He gives it as " southern Uganda, Kenya Colon}^, and 

 Tanganyika Territory to the Zambesi and perhaps northern Damara- 

 land." However, as the present specimens show% myochrous occurs 

 north to southern Ethiopia (Sagon River). 



Tachomis parvus griseus Zedlitz ^^ is a synonym of typical parvus 

 as was pointed out by Grant ^^ but I have some doubt about the 

 proper disposition of Tachomis pai^vus laemostigma Reichenow.-" 

 Grant, Sclater, and others consider this a synonym of parvus. 

 While it is true that the character given by Reichenow (heavier 

 throat streaks) does not hold very well, still all the birds from the 

 northern half of Kenya Colony and the one from southern Ethiopia 

 are intermediate in coloration between typical parvus and typical 

 myochrous. It may be that an intermediate form could be main- 

 tained, in which case the name laemostigma W'ould be available. All 

 the present series would belong to this form. 



As far as I have been able to determine the typical race does not 

 occur south of Ethiopia and the Sudan. However, Roberts -^ re- 



15 Journ. f. Ornith., 1928, p. 762. 



"Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 28, 1005, p. 860. 



" Syst. Avium Etliiop., 1924. p. 261. 



^Ovn. Monatsb., vol. 18, 1910, p. 58: Adiabo-Steppe. 



i»Ibis, 1915, p. 310. 



» VOg. Afr., vol. 3, 1905, p. 828 : South Somaliland. 



"Ann. Transvaal Mus., vol. 10, pt. 3, 1924, p. 151. 



