Sir W. Jardine’s Contributions to Ormithology. 147 
mistake was easily made, no measurements being given; but a 
comparison of the specimens leaves no doubt of their being distinct. 
In the “ Atheneum” of May 30th, “Dr Sclater pointed out 
the characters of a species of spine-tailed swift of the genus 
Chetura, from West Africa, for which he proposed the name of 
C. cassinii.” This may be Duchaillu’s bird, or any other; but we 
cannot recognise such notices as descriptions, or as any authority 
foraname., It has been the practice for many years for gentle- 
men thus to announce new names without anything more, and it has 
been the source of confusion and great multiplication of synonyms. 
We now give the characters of the two allied species, describing 
the old bird from a specimen in the museum of T. C. Eyton, Esq., 
who procured it from the refuse specimens of the once fine ornitho- 
logical collection of the Zoological Society. 
Acanthylis sabini (Gray), 1828.* Mus. British. T.C Eyton. 
Above, black with blue and violet reflections, rump and up. 
tail-coverts white, shafts of each feather black, tail-coverts 
as long as the rectrices without the spine. Below, greyish- 
black; belly, vent and under tail-coverts white, the latter 
Jong with narrow black shafts; tarsi and feet slender. 
Length to end of tail spines, 4; wing, 4.5. 
Chetura sabini (Gray), Cuv. Reg. An., ed. Griff. 11., No. xvii. 
p. 70. Hartlaub, Syst. Orn. W. Africa, p. 25. 
C. bicolor (Gray), Zool. Miscel., p. 7. 
Acanthylis bicolor (Strick.), Proc. Zool. Soc., 1844, p. 99. 
A, sabini (Gray), Gen. B. Fol. Sp, 8. List B. Brit. Mus., p. 16. 
Mull. Cab. Journ. Orn., 1855, p. 3. 
Pallene leucopygia (Boie), Isis, 1844 (Auct. Hartl.) 
P. sabini, Bonp. Consp. Avium, p. 64. 
Hab.,W. Africa: Sierra Leone (Sabine) ; Fernando Po (Fraser). 
Acanthylis hartlaubi, Jard., June 1863. Mus. Brit, Jard. Philad. 
(Auct. Hartl.) 
Above, black with slight greenish reflection; up. tail-coverts 
short, those next rump white, forming a narrow band, 
outer rectrices pale near the shaft. Below, chin greyish- 
white; throat, breast and sides grey; belly, vent and 
under tail-coverts white; tarsi and feet, strong. Length 
to end of tail spines, 4,3; wing, 6. 
Chetura sabint (Cassin), Proc, Ac. Nat. Soc. Philad.(without syns.) 
Hartlaub (included in synonyms of C. sabinz), Syst. Ornith. W. 
Africa, p. 25. 
Hab., W, Africa (Auct. Cassin). 
* For this date, we take the notice on 16th Number of Griffith’s edition of 
Cuvier,—“ The 17th Number of the Animal Kingdom will be published in 
October 1828.”’ 
