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, Temm. 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 06.. 05 



middle toe ...,,03.. 03 



tail 30.. 30 



bill 10i . . 09 



