'L i
i I J'
C O T I L E R U F I C U L A , Fischer 4- Reichenow.
F I S C n E I l ’S B O C K -M A K T IN .
e e -T ir-E r u f i g u l a .
Co ty le fu l ig n l a (n e c L io b t.), H o rs f. & M o o re , C a t. B ird s E . I . Co. M u s . i. p. 90
(1 8 6 1 ) ; H e u g l. O rn . N .O .-A fr . i. p. 1 6 1 ( 1 8 6 9 ) ; B la n f. Geol. & Zool. A b y ss,
p . 36 0 (1 8 7 0 , su b C. ru p e s tr is ) ; S lia rp e , P . Z. S. 1870, p. 299 (p t.).
C o lile rv flg u la , P is c b e r & l le ic h e n . J . f. 0 . 1 8 8 1 , p. 63 ; S h a rp e . C a t. B ird s in B rit.
Alus. X . p . 1 07 (1885).
C o ty le r u fig u la , S a lv ad . A n n . Alus. C ivic . G e n o v . (2) i. p . 1 22 (1881) ; E is c b e r in
Alad a ra sz , Z e its c h r . ges. O rn . i. p . 3 5 8 (18 8 1 ).
C. similis C. fuligula, sed multò minor et gulu pallidiore distiugueuda.
Hab. iu Africa orientali et septeutriouali-orientali.
Adult male. General colour above dark mouse-brown; vviug-covcrts like tbe back; bastard-wing,
primary-coverts, and quills darker browu, somewhat lighter brown ou tbe edges ; upper tail-
coverts’ like tbe back; tail-feathers dark brown, every feather marked with a rounded spot of
white ou the inner web, excepting the two centre ones aud the outer oue on each side ; crown of
head a trifle darker than the back ; lores blackisli ; car-covcrts dark brown like the liead ; checks,
throat, and fore neck pale fawn-rufous; chest, breast, and abdomen a littlo deeper nifous-brown,
dark mouse-brown on the sides of body and flanks ; thighs, under tail-coverts, under wing-coverts,
and axillaries dark mouse-brown, the under wing-covcrts edged with dull rufous; quills below
more ashy aloug the inner webs. Total leugth 5 inches, culmeu 0'3, wing 1 ‘8, tail 2'(),
tarsus O-l.
The wing measures from 4'6 to 1 8 5 in the five specimens in the Britisli iMuseum ; but too
great reliance cannot be placed on these dimensions, as the specimens have tlie plumage very
much worn, though it will he seen that they never attain to the dimensions of C. fuligula.
Hab. North-eastern Africa from Abyssinia to Sboa and thence to Masai-laud in Eastern Africa.
T h e e a rlie s t re c o rd e d sp e c im e n o f th e p re s e n t spec ie s seems to b e th e o n e m e n tio n e d in
H o r s iie ld a n d Aloore’s * C a ta lo g u e ,’ w h e re a s in g le b ird is sa id to h a v e b e e n o b ta in e d b y
S ir W . C. I l a r r i s in ‘ A b y s s in ia .’ A s a m a t t e r o f fa c t, fo u r sp e c im e n s we re o b ta in e d l>y
th e l a s t-n am e d n a tu r a l is t , th o u g h o n ly ono w a s c a ta lo g u e d . A ll fo u r e x am p le s a ro n ow
p re s e rv e d in th e B r itis h A lu seum , a n d it is e x trem e ly d o u b tfu l i f a n y o f th em re a lly
c am e from A b y s s in ia , a s th e o n ly b ird w ith th e o r ig in a l la b e l s till a t t a c h e d to i t was
co lle c ted in Shoa, a t A n g o lla la , iu Alay 1B42.
T h a t i t o c c u rs i n A b y s s in ia p ro p e r is, h ow e v e r, c e rta in , fo r in th e B r i t is h A lu se um
is a sp e c im e n co lle c ted hy Air. J e s s e , th o u g h w ith o u t a n y in d ic a tio n o f th e p re c ise