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Show 302 MR. R. B. SHARPE ON ETHIOPIAN H I R U N D I N I D E E . [May 12, shot in Upper Egypt." Cotyle obsoleta also occurs in Palestine, according to Dr. Tristram (/. c), who, however, confounds it with C. palustris. More recently he refers again to the same subject (Ibis, 1869, p. 437), and, while admitting the distinctness of the bird in question from C. rupestris and C. fuligula, proposes to call it by Riippell's name, C. paludibula. Now it appears to me that the name C. paludibula, as it stands in the ' Systematische Uebersicht,' is nothing more than a misprint for C.paludicola (*= 0. palustris), which, though Dr. Tristram does not seem to be aware of the fact, occurs in North-eastern Africa, identical in form with true C. paludicola from South Africa. Again, Riippell evidently refers to the last-named bird under the name oi paludibula ; for his G. rupestris is said to be " common in Egypt the whole year," which we know applies to G. obsoleta, but not to true C. rupestris (Scop.); and therefore his C.paludibula cannot be C. obsoleta. I have endeavoured to set the matter right in the list of synonyms given above. 7. COTYLE PALUDICOLA. Hirondelle des Marais ou la Burnette, Levaill. Ois. d'Afr. v. p. 158, pl. 246. fig. 2 (1806). Hirundo paludicola, Vieill. Nouv. Diet. 2dc ed. xiv. p. 511 (1817) ; .id. Enc. Meth. ii. p. 523. no. 19 (1823) ; Guerin in Ferr. et Gal. Voy. en Abyss, iii. p. 242 (1847) ; Des Murs, Voy. en Abyss, p. 79 (1847). Cotyle paludicola, Sundev. om Levaill. p. 52 (1857) ; Grill, Zool. Anteckn. p. 36 (1858); Heugl. Ibis, 1859, p. 339; Kirk, Ibis, 1864, p. 320. Cotyle paludibula, Riipp. Neue Wirb. p. 106 (1835) ; id. Syst. Uebers. p. 22 (1845); Heugl. Syst. Uebers. p. 17 (1856). Hirundo palustris, Steph. Gen. Zool. x. p. 101 (1817). Cotyle palustris, Cab. Mus. Hein. Th. i. p. 49 (1850); Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. i. p. 34 (1850) ; Miill. Journ. f. Orn. 1855, p. 5 ; Layard, Birds of S. Afr. p. 58 (1867); Gurney, Ibis, 1868, p. 464. Above brown, with lighter edgings to the wing-coverts and secondaries ; throat and breast greyish brown, sides of the body a little darker brown; under wing-coverts brown mixed with white ; abdomen and under tail-coverts pure white. Total length 4*7 inches, wing 4*0, tail 2*1. Young birds are a little more reddish in colour, and have the upper plumage mottled. I am indebted to the Rev. H. B. Tristram for the loan of a specimen of the curious variety of this Martin from the Transvaal territory. It has not a trace of white on the abdomen. Hab. Abyssinia (Mus. Berol.); Transvaal (Ayres); Cape Colony (Layard, Ayres). It is doubtful which name ought really to be applied to this species, viz. paludicola of Vieillot, or palustris of Stephens, both founded on Levaillant's plate, and both published in the year |