
NOTES 
ON SOME 
BIRDS FROM THE RIVER GABOON IN WEST AFRICA 
BY 
H. E. STRICKLAND. 
A sMALL collection of birds from this new locality has lately 
been purchased from M. E. Verreaux of Paris, by E. Wilson, Esq., 
who has kindly submitted them to my examination before sending 
them to their destination in the Philadelphia Museum. The River 
Gaboon, or as the French write it, Gabon, is situated exactly under 
the Equator, and is considerably farther south than most of the 
localities where West African Birds have hitherto been collected. 
It has consequently afforded soveral new species, and in order to 
show the geographical distribution of others, I have thought it best 
to give a list of the whole collection. The specimens were labelled 
by M. Verreaux, whose MS. names I have retained in all cases where 
it was practicable. 
The species which are additional to Dr. Hartlaub’s list of West 
African Birds in the “ Verzeichnis der Vorlesungen” of the Ham- 
burg Gymnasium, 1850 (see Contributions to Ornithology, 1850, 
P. 129), are marked with an asterisk. 
*1. Hirundo melbina, Verreaux MS. <A curious little Swallow, 
combining the typical structure of Hirwndo with the sombre colour- 
mg of Chelidon or Cotyle. Crown and sides of head, rump and 
ae tail-covers, fuscous brown; upper back and wings black, with 
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