302 MR.R.B. SHARPE ON ETHIOPIAN HIRUNDINID&. [May 12, 
shot in Upper Egypt.’ Cotyle obsoleta also occurs in Palestine, 
according to Dr. Tristram (/.c.), who, however, confounds it with 
C. palustris. More recently he refers again to the same subject 
(Ibis, 1869, p. 437), and, while admitting the distinctness of the 
bird in question from C. rupestris and C. fuligula, proposes to call 
it by Riippell’s name, C. paludibula. 
Now it appears to me that the name C. paludibula, as it stands 
in the ‘Systematische Uebersicht,’ is nothing more than a mis- 
print for C. paludicola (=C. palustris), which, though Dr. Tris- 
tram does not seem to be aware of the fact, occurs in North-eastern 
Africa, identical in form with true C. paludicola from South Africa. 
Again, Riippell evidently refers to the last-named bird under the 
name of paludibula ; for his C. rupestris is said to be ‘‘ common in 
Egypt the whole year,” which we know applies to C. obsoleta, but 
not to true C. rupestris (Scop.); and therefore his C. paludibula 
cannot be C. obsoleta. I have endeavoured to set the matter right 
in the list of synonyms given above. 
7. CoTryLE PALUDICOLA. 
Hirondelle des Marais ou la Burnette, Levaill. Ois. d’Afr. v. 
p. 158, pl. 246. fig. 2 (1806). 
Hirundo paludicola, Vieill. Nouv. Dict. 2ae éd. xiv. p. 511 
(1817) ; id. Enc. Méth. ii. p. 523. no. 19 (1823); Guérin in Ferr. 
et Gal. Voy. en Abyss. ili. p. 242 (1847); Des Murs, Voy. en 
Abyss. p. 79 (1847). 
Cotyle paludicola, Sundev. om Levaill. p. 52 (1857); Grill, 
Zool. Anteckn. p. 36 (1858); Heugl. Ibis, 1859, p. 339; Kirk, 
Ibis, 1864, p. 320. 
Cotyle paludibula, Riipp. Neue Wirb. p. 106 (1835) ; id. Syst. 
Uebers. p. 22 (1845); Heugl. Syst. Uebers. p. 17 (1856). 
Hirundo palustris, Steph. Gen. Zool. x. p. 101 (1817). 
Cotyle palustris, Cab. Mus. Hein. Th. i. p. 49 (1850); Bonap. 
Consp. Gen. Av. i. p. 34 (1850); Miill. Journ. f. Orn. 1855, 
p- ae Layard, Birds of S. Afr. p. 58 (1867); Gurney, Ibis, 1868, 
p. 464. 
Above brown, with lighter edgings to the wing-coverts and se- 
condaries ; throat and breast greyish brown, sides of the body a 
little darker brown; under wing-coverts brown mixed with white ; 
abdomen and under tail-coverts pure white. Total length 4-7 inches, 
wing 4:0, tail 2°1. 
Young birds are a little more reddish in colour, and have the 
upper plumage mottled. I am indebted to the Rev. H. B. Tristram 
for the loan of a specimen of the curious variety of this Martin 
from the Transvaal territory. It has not a trace of white on the 
abdomen. 
Hab. Abyssinia (Mus. Berol.); Transvaal (Ayres); Cape Colony 
(Layard, Ayres). 
It is doubtful which name ought really to be applied to this 
species, viz. paludicola of Vieillot, or palustris of Stephens, both 
founded on Leyaillant’s plate, and both published in the year 
