COTILE RUFIGULA, Fischer Sf Reichemw. 

 FISCHER'S EOCK-MARTIN. 



Cotyle fuUgula (nee Licht.), Horsf. & Moore, Cat. Birds E. I. Co. Mus. i. p. 96 



(1854) ; Heiigl. Orn. N.O.-Afr. i. p. 164 (1869) ; Blanf. Geol. & Zool. Abyss. 



p. 350 (1870, sub C. rupestris) ; Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1870, p. 299 (pt.). 

 Cotile riifigula, Eiscber & Eeichen. J. f. 0. 1881, p. 53 ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds in Brit. 



Mus. X. p. 107 (1885). 

 Cotyle rufigula, Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov. (2) i. p. 122 (1881) ; Fischer in 



Madarasz, Zeitscbr. ges. Orn. i. p. 358 (1881). 



C. similis C. fuligulcB, sed multo minor et gula pallidiore distinguenda. 

 Hab. in Africa orientali et septentrionali-orientali. 



Adult male. General colour above dark mouse-brown ; Tving-covcrts like the back ; bastard-wing, 

 primary-coverts, and quills darker brown^ somewhat lighter brown on the edges ; upper tail- 

 coverts like the back ; tail-feathers dark brown, every feather marked with a rounded spot of 

 white on the inner web, excepting the two centre ones and the outer one on each side ; crown of 

 head a trifle darker than the back ; lores blackish ; ear-coverts dark brown like tlie head ; checks, 

 throat, and fore neck pale fawn-rufous ; chest, breast, and abdomen a little deeper rufous-brown, 

 dark mouse-brown on the sides of body and flanks ; thighs, under tail-coverts, under wing-coverts, 

 and axillaries dark mouse-brown, the under wing-coverts edged with dull rufous ; quills below 

 more ashy along the inner webs. Total length 5 inches, culmeu 0'3, wing 4'8, tail 2'0, 

 tarsus 0'4. 



The wing measures from 4'6 to 485 in the five specimens in the British Museum ; but too 

 great reliance cannot be placed on these dimensions, as the specimens have the plumage very 

 much worn, though it will be seen that they never attain to the dimensions of C.fuHgula. 



Hub. North-eastern Africa from Abyssinia to Shoa and thence to Masai-land in Eastern Africa. 



The earliest recorded specimen of the present species seems to be tlie one mentioned in 

 Horsfield and Moore's ' Catalogue,' wliere a single bird is said to liavo Ix'cn ohlaiiu-d l)y 

 Sir W. C. Harris in 'Abyssinia.' As a matter of fact, four specimens were obtaiiu'd by 

 the last-named naturalist, though only one was catalogued. All four exaiuph-s are now- 

 preserved in the British Museum, and it is extremely doulitl'ul if any df tlirni really 

 came from Abyssinia, as the only bird with tlie original label slill allaelu'd to it was 

 collected in Shoa, at AngoUala, in May 1812. 



That it occurs in Abyssinia proper is, liowever, certain, for in llie I'rilisji Museum 

 is a specimen collected l)y Mr. Jesse, though willuml any indiealiun of the precise 



