Rev. H. B. Tristram on African Birds. 437 



Cohjle paludibula, tbougli the tiescription is imperfect. In that 

 case, this name C. paludibula sliould stand for C. palustris in 

 the various notices of this Martin by Mr. Taylor, myself (P. Z. S. 

 1864, p. 443; Ibis, 1867, p. 363), and others in Northern and 

 Eastern Africa. 



There is some confusion about Anthus sordidus, Rupp. Mr. 

 Blyth has adopted the name for an Indian species, which appears 

 to be perfectly distinct {cf. supra, p. 120). Through the kind- 

 ness of Mr. Blanford I have just had the opportunity of 

 examining six specimens from Abyssinia, whence came Riip- 

 pell's type, and find them clearly distinct from the South- 

 African, East-African, and Indian birds. 



Mr. Layard treats Anthus sordidus, Riipp. (no. 226, Layard), 

 as identical with Corydalla sordida, Blyth, and Anthus (jouldi, Era- 

 ser. But a typical specimen oiA, gouldi, Eraser, from the Gaboon, 

 shows its distinctness from either the Indian or the Abyssinian 

 bird. I fear I shall have to crave pardon from the goodnature 

 of my old friend Mr. Layard, if I not only assert the distinct- 

 ness of bis three synonyms, but also raise a doubt as to whether 

 any one of the three has yet occurred within his limits. May 

 it not have been A. coffer ? One specimen, kindly sent me by 

 Mr. Layard, is certainly the latter, though called A. sordidus. 

 I have A. caffer again from the Transvaal territory. 



The history of A. sordidus being recorded from Natal is, that 

 Mr. Gurney, on Mr. G. R. Gray's authority, included A.gouldi in 

 the first list of birds sent by Mr. Ayres fx'om Natal (Ibis, 1860, 

 p. 208). But A. gouldi being not a synonym, and possibly the 

 bird having been A. caffer (the large race), it may not be abso- 

 lute heresy to question the occurrence of Riippell's bird in 

 South Africa. It will also be interesting to compare Anthus 

 calthroj)(2, Layard, with A. brachyurus, Sund. Anthus chloris, 

 Licht., however, is an addition to Mr. Layard's list, having 

 been procured at Cape Town by Andersson*. 



Turning to a very different group of birds, I am unable to 



separate Butorides atricapilla (Afzel.) (no. 587, Layard) from 



B. javanica (Horsf.) as found on the mainland of China. 



Mr. Swinhoe's specimens from Eormosa are considerably larger, 



• [Cf. supriH, p. 3G8.— Ed.] 



