230 



SENEGAL COURIER. 



Tachydromus Senegalensis, LICHTENSTEIN. 

 PLATE XXIV. 



Wings five inches long; crown entirely rufous; upper plu- 

 mage, rump, and two middle tail-feathers, fawn-colour, 

 immaculate ; flanks and belly white. 



Tach. Senegalensis, Lich., Berlin, Cat., p. 72. Cursorius Tem- 



minckii, Zool. III. i. p. 106 Cursor, ditto. Wagler, Syst. 



Avium, No. 3. Cursorius Asiaticus, Temm. 



THE different species of Tachydromus, although 

 few in number, are involved in much confusion ; a 

 circumstance that has arisen from the great similarity 

 of their plumage, no less than from the little regard 

 that has been paid to their comparative characters 

 and to their geographic distribution. From the 

 latest results of our investigation of these birds, 

 there appears to be no less than three species in- 

 cluded by M. Temminck in his specific name of 

 C. Asiaticus, which he says inhabits " Africa, India, 

 Senegal, and Pondicherry*. Notwithstanding this 

 authority, we ventured, some years ago, to charac- 

 terize the Senegal Courier as distinct from the 

 others, not being aware this had already been done 

 by Lichtenstein. M. Temminck, on his subsequent 

 visits to England, vehemently protested against this, 

 * Manuel d'Ornithologie, 2d ed. ii. p. 514. 



