30 COLIUSPASSER 
Type. 
Coliuspasser, Riipp. N. Wirb. p. 98, PI. 36, 
fig. 2 (1835-40) . . . C. laticaudus. 
Penthetria, Cab. Arch. f. Iatuee: 1847, p: 331 C, laticaudus. 
Coliostruthus, Sundey. Gifv. K. Vet. Ak. Férh. 
Stockh. 1849, p.158 . . . . C. laticaudus. 
Chera, Gray, Gen. B. ii. p. 355 (1849) . . . C. procne. 
Niobe, Reichenb. Singv. p. 61 (1863) . . . C. ardens. 
Penthetriopsis, Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xiii. p. 220 
(1890) . . . C. macrowra. 
Drepanoplectes, Shame; ae 1891, = 246 . C. jackson. 
Diatropura, Oberholser, Pr. Acad. Philad. 
Use hh AG) 6 6 5 6 6 4 1s 0 6 8 OF TORRE 
The genus is confined to Tropical and South Africa, and 
comprises fourteen species. Its members, as well as those of 
Urobrachya, may be called the Marsh Whydahs. They all 
frequent marshy districts, construct oval nests mostly of grass, 
which they generally hide amongst the herbage close to the 
ground, and lay spotted eggs, three, sometimes four, in number. 
It appears to me to be confusing rather than helping 
science to separate these species into several genera. The 
oldest name I can find for this group of birds is Coliuspasser. 
Have we a right to set it aside, as has been done by Dr. 
Sharpe (Cat. B. M. xiii. p. 215, note), or to substitute a more 
classical name? We are not, in my opinion, justified in 
doing either. 
Out of the eight generic names proposed for members of 
this genus the three following have been previously used in 
other branches of zoology: Penthetria, Meigen, 1802 (Dip- 
tera) ; Chera, Hiibn. 1816 (Lepidoptera); Niobe, Aug. 1851 
(Crustacea). 
KEY TO THE SPECIES. 
a. Most of the plumage uniform black . . . . Malesinbreeding plumage. 
a1, Lesser wing-coverts scarlet; under wing- 
coverts black ; wing 4:5 to 5:5. 
a?, Smaller; tailshorter . . . . . . progne. }-72 
b2, Larger; taillonger . ... . . . delamere. /. 33 
