Prof. Milne-Edwards and M. Grandidier in the volume devoted to the ornithology of the 

 island. These gentlemen regard Cotile cowani as a variety or suhspecies of the African 

 C. paludicola, and this is the view advanced in the ' Catalogue of Birds.' They admit 

 the differences of colour exhihited by the Madagascar form, hut they consider that these 

 " cannot be regarded as of specific worth, especially if one remembers that in Madagascar 

 animals of the same species exhibit, in the eastern side of the island, a coat or a plumage 

 of a darker tint than in the west." 



The differences between this species and C paludicola are, however, extremely 

 well marked and constant, and we have no hesitation in recognizing it as a distinct 

 form. 



(Jur friend the Uev. Deans CoM^an has given us the following note on this species : — 

 "This bird, with its eggs, was on several occasions brought to me at Ankafana, a small 

 forest about four miles west of the Great Porest in Betsileo. I gathered that these had 

 been taken in holes in some bank, of which there were not a few about the place. The 

 birds were taken at the same time as the eggs. There were a number of Swallows flying 

 about the open glades of the forest, at about 50 to 60 feet from the ground. These I 

 took to be Cotile cowani; but I never shot any of them, so that I am not positively sure 

 that they were so. 



" A small Swallow, perhaps Cotile, was very commonly to be seen at certain seasons 

 skimming almost every large pool of water or river." 



The descriptions are copied from the ' Catalogue of Birds ' and the figures in tlie 

 Plate represent an adult and a young bird from Captain Shelley's collection. According 

 to Mr. Deans Cowan the native name is ' Piriringa,' the same as that of the Fhedina of 

 Madagascar. 



