ABYSSINIA AND THE BOGOS COUNTRY. 215 
distinguish them from others collected in our country. No practised ornithologist 
would hesitate for one moment to express the same opinion, and I am astonished to 
hear that there can be any question about it. I possess also such young ones from 
Nubia, as well as old specimens from the Cape and Nubia, which agree, in the darkness 
of coloration throughout, with specimens from Germany.” 
Another very important proof that there cannot be a real specific difference is the 
well-known fact that the so-called C. barbatus is only a winter visitor in Africa, and does 
not breed there, neither in the Cape Colony, nor in North-east Africa. Mr. Layard 
has given some valuable observations about it, which prove undoubtedly the migratory 
habits of the southern Cypselus. I cannot, therefore, perceive how it is possible to call 
a periodical visitant, which stays only for a few months, a “representative species” of 
our C. apus. About the migration of this species we are also very well informed. 
Dr. Brehm has published valuable observations (Journ. f. Orn. 1853, p. 453) made by 
him in North-east Africa, where C. apus goes further than the White Nile; and Dr. 
Bolle states not only that the Swift is a winter visitor in the Canaries, but that he met 
with single pairs breeding in Ciudad de las Palmas in the month of July (Journ. f. Orn. 
1857, p. 322). 
The following measurements, taken from more than twenty-five specimens, will show 
that there is no difference in dimensions :— 
Long. al. Rectr. intern. Rectr. ext. 
6" 3-6" 7” 1” 6”-1” 10” 2” 5-2" 10” . . . . Bogosland. 
6 8 1 8 2 9 . . » . Chartum. 
6 1-6 5 i eG 2 8 . . . . Damaraland. 
6 6 1 8 -1 10 27-2 9 . . . . Cape Town. 
5 6 1 4 2 4 . . . . Benguela (in moult). 
6 3-6 6 1 7 2 7-2 10... . . Germany. 
I may also be allowed to express my doubts about Cypselus gutturalis, Vieill., declared 
not long ago by Mr. Tristram! to be the southern representative of our C. melba, and 
to be distinguished at once by the darker colour above and the very broad jugular collar. 
The only reference to C. gutturalis is Levaillant’s “« Martinet & gorge blanche,’ figured 
in his ‘ Oiseaux d’Afrique, pl. 243. Professor Sundevall, who inspected South-African 
specimens himself, declares, in his meritorious Key to the work of Levaillant, that this 
figure belongs undoubtedly to C. melba. I can confirm this so far, as we possess a 
specimen from Switzerland which agrees very well with Levaillant’s figure, having the 
jugular cross band very broad (more than one inch), whereas another specimen from 
the same locality has it scarcely half an inch broad. I believe, therefore, that it will 
be necessary to examine a large series before one can say decidedly that the southern 
C. melba is of a different species.—O. F. 
[Iris brown; beak black; legs and feet black. 
 Proe, Zool. Soc. 1867, p. 887. 
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