COTILE CONGICA, Reichenoic. 

 COXGO SAND-MARTIN. 



Cotile congica, Eeichenow, J. f. 0. 1887, p. 300. 



C. fascicula plumosa ad finem tarsi absente : torque pectorali pallide brimneu : margine carpali nigro, 

 albo fasciato. 



Hab. in flumine Congico, Africie occidentalis. 



Female (not quite adult). General colour above mouse-browuj with wliitish edges to the feathers of tlic 

 back (remains of immature plumage), the inner secondaries being also edged with Trhite at the 

 ends ; wing-coverts and quills blackish brown ; upper tail-coverts lighter and more ruddy brown 

 than the back ; tail nearly square, dark brown, with lighter brown edges ; crown of head 

 decidedly darker and more dusky brown than the back ; the ear-coverts and lores also very dark 

 brown ; cheeks, throat, and under surface of body white, with a distinct band of pale brown 

 across the lower throat ; sides of the body light brown, as also the under wing-coverts and 

 asillaries; the coverts round the bend of the wing blackish, with white tiiJS, as if barred with 

 white: "iris blackish brown" {F. Bohndorff). Total length 4 inches, culmen 0-3, wing 3'75, 

 tail 1'6, tarsus 0'4. 



Hab. River Congo, West Africa. 



This is a very curious little Sand-Martin, and holds an intermediate position between 

 the two sections of the genits Cotile. Thus it has a brown band on the loAver throat 

 like C. riparia, but in its small size it resembles C. minor and its allies ; and like tlu' 

 latter group of Sand-Martins, C. congica has no tuft of feathers at the back of the 

 tarsus, while it differs from all the other members of the genus Cotile in having tlu' 

 lower margin of the bend of the wing barred with black and white. 



The original specimens were obtained by Mr. F. BohndorlT at ]\lanyanga, on the 

 Lower Congo, between Vivi and Stanley Pool. . One of them having kindly been sent 

 in exchange bv the Berlin Museum to the British Museum, we have been able to give a 

 description of the bird. 



For the geographical distribution of this species, cidc iiifra, Plate 31 [Maji]. 



3 k 



