36 Col. R. Meinertzhagen on Birds from [Ibis, 



variation seems to have been an excuse for subspecific 

 separation. Perhaps in thinking I am assisting in dis- 

 entangling the apian knot, I have still further confused the 

 issue, but I believe I am correct in my deductions. Like 

 bishops, Swifts are always interesting, but sometimes dis- 

 appointing. 



Apus apus apiis (L.). 



C'l/pselus aterrimus Heugliuj J. f. 0. 1861 : Abyssinia. 



Cypselus hahtoni Bartlett, P. Z. S. 1879 : Madagascar. 



Ajms a. hoU'ihayi Tschusi, Orn. Jahrb. 1902 : Dalmatia. 



Ajyus a. carlo Kollibay, J. f. 0. 1905 : Tunis, 



Back dark sooty-black, with an oily-green sheen, which 

 in a dull light shows almost blue. Some birds, especially in 

 summer, almost lack any blue or green sheen and appear 

 brownish. Primaries black with a steel-blue siieen on the 

 outer web, and an oily-green sheen on the inner web. 

 Head sooty-biown, the forehead with occasionally some 

 paler edgings to the feathers. Chin greyish white to almost 

 pure white, with or without darker shaft-stri[)es. 



Wing of males usually between 170 and 180 mm., and of 

 females between 164 and 176 mm. 



The differences assigned to kollihayi and carlo are not 

 constant within their supposed breeding areas, and their 

 supposed characteristics occur regularly within the range of 

 both British and northern European Swifts. 



The typical race of the Swift breeds in Europe east at 

 least to southern Russia (Sarepta), Macedonia (Monastir), 

 Bulgaria and Serbia, Italy and C'rote. Also in Morocco, 

 Algeria, and Tunisia. 



In winter it occurs regularly throughout Africa south to 

 the Cape and Madagascar. I shot three birds at Korogwe 

 in Tanganyika Territory on 3. ix. from a large flock passing 

 south. 



Apus apus pekinensis (Swinh,). 

 Cypselus pekhiensis Swinhoe, P. Z. S. 1870: Pekin. 

 Ajnis apus marwitzl Reichw. Orn. Monatsb. 1906 : Wem- 

 bere Plains in central Tanganyika Territory. 



