1871.] MR. R. B. SHARPE ON BIRDS FROM MADAGASCAR. 315 



posed species were uothing more than sexes of the same bird, the 

 large one being the male. 



In the last collection brought home by Mr. Crossley was a speci- 

 men of a Mystacornis which I suppose must be the young bird ; but 

 it differs from the ordinary species in being of a dull sienna underneath 

 and in having the head and neck of this colour also. It might very 

 well be taken for a distinct species, but for the fact that in the female 

 specimen already in my collection there is a slight tint of rufous on 

 the crown. 



37. Corethrura insularis. (Plate XXXII.) 



Corethrura insularis, Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1870, p. 300. 



Crex jardinei, Verr. in Vins. Voy. Madag. Ann. B. p. 4 (1865) ; 

 Schl. &*Poll. Faun. Madag. Ois. p.' 161 (1868). 



In the last collection sent, there are some males of this species 

 which clearly show that the bird is distinct from Corethrura jardinii 

 and other species of Corethrura, as I had expected it to be. It is 

 probably the Crex jardinii of Messrs. Verreaux and Schlegel ; but it 

 is to be distinguished from the last-named species by its much larger 

 size and red throat. I subjoin a description of the adult male. 



Head, throat, and breast rich chestnut ; sides of the neck black, 

 margined with white on each side of the feather, producing a streaked 

 appearance ; centre of the back and scapulars black, streaked like 

 the sides of the neck, but with yellowish margins to the feathers 

 instead of white ; wing-coverts black, all the feathers margined with 

 whitish ; quills brownish black, irregularly varied with yellowish on 

 the outer primaries ; the secondaries deep black, irregularly streaked 

 and spotted with rufous white ; tail deep chestnut ; belly black, longi- 

 tudinally streaked with white, the abdomen and vent brownish ; under 

 tail- coverts chestnut, like the tail ; bill black ; feet yellowish brown. 



Total length 6'2 inches, culm 0*5, wing 2*8, tail T9, tarsus 0*75, 

 middle toe 1*15. 



The following is a list of the additional species not before men- 

 tioned by me. 



Family Cypselidje. 



41. Cypselus gracilis, sp. n. 



Cypselus parvus et C. unicolor, auct., ex Madagascar. 



C. ceneo-niger : genis cum colli lateribus et corpore subtus umbrino- 

 fuseis : gutture paullo albicante, indistincte striato. 



Long. tot. 6 - 2, alae 4 - 95, caudse 21, rect. ext. 3*2, med. 2*1. 



There can be little doubt that the Madagascar Swift above described 

 is not identically the same as the continental bird. It is in every 

 respect much darker, and the fork of the tail is not so long. The 

 specimen described appears to me to be the oldest of the three 

 brought home by Mr. Crossley, who has not attached any label of 

 the exact locality to these specimens. They were a few which he 

 brought with him on his return among his personal baggage, as the 

 greater part of his collection was so unfortunate as just to reach 



