440 CTPSELID^. 



Subsp. a. Micropus africanus. 



Le Martinet a gorge blanche, Levaillant, Ois. d'Afr. y. p. 143, pi. 243 



(1806) (S. Afr.). 

 Cypselus alpinus africanus, Temm. Man. d'Orn. 181.5, p. 270 (note), 



"1820, i. p. 434 (note). 

 Plirundo gularis, Steph. in Shaw's Gen. Zool. x. p. 99 (1817). 

 Cypselus gutturalis, Vieill. Nouv. Diet. xix. p. 422 (1818) ; id. Enc. 



'Meih. p. 534 (1823) ; Tristr. P. Z. S. 1807, p. 887 (dist. fr. C. 



melba) ; Gurtiey, Ibis, 1868, pp. 152,460 (S. Afr.) ; Gray, Hand-l. 



i. p. 63, no. 720 (1869) ; Layard, Ibis, 1869, p. 72 ; Finsrh, Trans. 



Zool. Soc. yii. p. 215 (1870)'(discuss.) ; sSJiarpe, Ihis, 1870, p. 427; 



Gurney, Anderss. B. Bamara-Ld. p. 47 (1872) ; Salvad. Ann. Mvs. 



Civic.'Genov. (2) i. p. 119 (1884) ; id. op. cit. (2) iv. p. 227 (1888). 

 Cypselus fuscicollis, BreJim, Vogelf. p. 45 (1855) (Afr.). 

 Cypselus melba, Heugl. Orn. N.O.-Afr. i. p. 140 (1869) ; Shelley, 



Ibis, 1875, p. 67 (S. Afr.) ; Sharpe, ed. Layardh B. S. Afr. p. 93 



(1875) ; Bocage, Orn. Avgola, p. 156 (1881). 



Adult. Very similar to M. melba, but rather smaller, with a 

 smaller white gular patch, a broader dark pectoral band, generally 

 more distinct and unbroken dark shaft-lines on the white under- 

 parts, a little darker aboye, and with more extended dark colour on 

 the sides and flanks. Total length about 8 to 8-5 inches, wing 8 

 to 8-3. 



Though the smaller white gular patch and broader dark pectoral 

 band are rather marked and the wings are generally much shorter, 

 some specimens are difficult to distinguish, and I am therefore in- 

 clined to consider this form as only a subspecies of M. melba. The 

 unbroken dark shaft-lines on the white underparts seem to be rather 



