CYPSELID^. 47 



[The Rev. H. B. Tristram, in the ' Proceedings of the Zoolo- 

 gical Society of London^ for 1867, p. 887, has recorded his 

 reasons for considering this Swift to be specifically distinct from 

 the more northern but closely allied C melba. One of the 

 differences which he mentions, the greater breadth of the brown 

 gorget in the South- African bird, is, however, by no means con- 

 stant, and the whole question as to the specific distinctness of 

 the two races can probably only be satisfactorily decided by 

 a comparison of a larger series of northern and southern ex- 

 amples than has hitherto been instituted. Mr. R. B. Sharpe 

 has given it as his opinion, in 'The Ibis,^ for 1870, p. 427, 

 that the two supposed species are not in reality distinct ; and it 

 is quite possible that further investigations may confirm this 

 view. — Ed.] 



59. Cypselus barbatus, TeimiT. MS. South-African Black Swift. 

 Cypselus barbatus, Sclater in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1865, p. 599 (sub 

 Cypselus apus). 

 „ „ Tristram in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1867, p. 887. 



Cypselus apus, Layard's Cat. No. 75. 



„ „ Finsch in Trans. Zool. Soc. vol. vii. p. 213. 



„ Sharpe's Cat. No. 17. 



I am far from certain that the Black Swift of Damara 

 Land is identical with Cypselus apus, of Europe. The 

 bird found in Damara and Great Namaqua Land is com- 

 mon during the rainy season. Great numbers are often 

 found in the neighbourhood of the sea, near the mouths 

 of periodical watercourses that have a moist bed. 



Measurements of two specimens, both males : — 



in. lin, in. lin. 



Entire length of one 7 6 . . of the other 7 4 



Length of folded wing ... „ 6 10^ . . „ 67 



„ tarsus „ 6.. „ 05 



middle toe . . . „ 3 . . „ 3 



tail „ 3 0.. „ 30 



bill „ lOi . . „ 9 



