Dr. G. Hartlaub on a new Bird from W. Africa. 321 
XXXV.— On a New Bird from Western Africa. 
By Dr. G. Hartlaub*, F.M.Z.S. 
(Plate XI.) 
Equatorial Gaboon must undoubtedly be reckoned among 
those districts of Africa which are most rich in ornithology. 
Du Chaillu, Franquet, Aubry-Lecomte, Fosse, Gujon, and others 
have collected species, up to the number of 400, in this some¬ 
what confined locality. Parinia , Phodidornis , Archimerops , 
Parmoptila , Alethe, Erythrocercus , Megabias, Artomyias , Ver- 
reauxia , Hetcerodes, Phasidus, are among the most remarkable 
forms of the African Avifauna, and have as yet been only met 
with in Gaboon. But still more remarkable than all these, and 
in our eyes, indeed, to be placed among the most interesting 
ornithological discoveries of the present time, is a new genus 
of bird of the order Fissirostres from this country, which, thanks 
to the friendly zeal of Jules Verreaux, has lately come into our 
hands, and which we wish to introduce into the system under 
the name Pseudochelidon. 
It is evident, at the first glance, that this form must be 
placed as a connecting link between the families of Hirundinidce 
and Coraciidce , which have been so truly and rightly placed 
near one another by George Robert Grayf. A distinguished 
observer, to whom we showed the bird without allowing him to 
see the bill and feet, pronounced it at once k to be a Swallow ; I 
and, in fact, the size, colour, formation of the tail and wings 3 ¥3 
(particularly of the latter) seem thoroughly Swallow-like ; while 
* Translated from part i. of the ‘ Journal fur Ornithologie ’ for the 
present year (p. 11). 
f We cannot agree with Mr. Gray and Dr. Hartlaub in considering the 
Coraciidce and Hirundinidce to be at all nearly allied. The Swallows, 
though often confounded with the Swifts ( Cypselidce ), have, as has been 
repeatedly shown by those who have studied their anatomical and ptery- 
lographical structure, nothing to do with the true Fissirostres, but form a 
merely modified group of typical Oscines. Pseudochelidon, having, as Dr. 
Hartlaub has kindly informed us, ten primaries, should, in our opinion, 
have been compared with Cypselus; and with all deference to Dr. Hart¬ 
laub’ s great authority, we venture to suggest that it will eventually 
be recognized as an aberrant form of the Cypselidce, perhaps leading off 
towards Eurystomus. — Ed. 
