):;:or«re?vsM; ■'Tr '
PMKDINA MADAGASCARIENSIS.
P H E D I N A M A D A G A S C A R I E N S I S , iiarti.
M A D A G A S C A R S T R I P E D SW A L L O W .
P r o g n e horhonica (n c c G m .), Cass. C a t. llir u iK l. M u s . P h ila d . A c a d . p . dO (18S3).
P Jw d iim m a d a g a sc a rie n sis, H a i t i . J . f. O. I8 6 0 , p. 83 ; id. B c itr . F a u u . M a d a g . p . 27
(1 8 6 1 ) ; V in so n , V o y . M a d a g . p . 20 1 (1 8 0 3 ) ; S lia rp e , P . Z. S. 1 8 7 0 , p p . 295, 3 88 :
id . C a t. A i r . B. p . 4 6 (1871) ; id . P .Z , S. 187.5, p . 7 8 ; H a r t l . V o g . M a d a g . p . 65
(1 8 7 7 ) ; S h a rp o , C a t, B ird s in B r i t . M u s . x . p . 123 (1885),
P h e d in a , sp. in d e t., R o c h & E . N ew t. I b is , 1 8 6 2 , p . 2 7 0 ; E . N ew t. Iliis , 1 8 6 3 ,
p. 270.
U ir u n d o horhonica, S ch l. P . Z. S. ISOO, p . 4 2 1 (p t.) ; id . & P o lle n , H i s t . N a t. M a d a g .,
Ois. p. 08 (1 8 0 8 , p t.).
P h e d in a horhonica, v a r . m a d a g a s c a rie n s is , M iln e -E dw a rd s & G r a n d id . H is t. N a t.
M a d a g . x ii, Ois. p. 3 9 5 , p is. 1 6 0 , 1 5 1 , 1 0 1 a (1 8 8 3 ).
P. similis P . harUràcæ, sed magis c inc ra sc e a s, e t su b tiis a lbic ans minimi; fumosa.
Hab. in in su la ‘ Madagascar ’ d ietâ.
A d u lt. Above r a th e r p a le b rownish g rey , th e sh a fts o f a ll th e fe.al1iers b e in g d is tin c tly m a rk ed ; iving-
ooverls a n d quills b la ckish brown, tbo la tte r p a le r um lc tn c a tb ; ta il d a rk iirown, somcivl,at lig h te r
o n tlio in n e r w e b s ; lores b la ck ; cheeks, side o f th o ne ck, and h rc a s t g reyish b row n , w ith dai-kcr
sh a fl-s trip o s ; r e s t o t tlio u n d e r surfa c e o f Ilio body white , with th ill lo n g itu d in a l s t r ip e s ; tl.c
lowe r p a r t o t th e abdom en a n d u n d e r ta il-c o v e rls p u r e white, Ilio sh a fts of th o fe.athors only
in dic a ted by a n a rrow lino o t brown ; sides o f tlic b r e a s t a n d flanks g rey ish b rown ; “ bill b la ck ;
fe e t d a rk b rown ” {Gratulidier). T o ta l len g tli 5-o inche s, win g 4-7, ta il 3.
T h e g re a te r le n g th o f th e u n d e r ta il-co v e rts in th e Madaga scnr b ird no tic ed b y u s ( I>. Z. 8 .
1870, p. 389) does n o t se em to hold good, o u e x am in in g th e sc rie s in th e M u seum . T h e wing m
tho Madaga scnr b ird varies from 4 '4 5 to 4 '8 5 inches. T h e R éu n io n h ird s have tlic wing .4',30, tho
M a u ritiu s ones -T7 to -i-75.
The M ad ag a sc a r b ird s a re easily d istin g u ish ed b y th e ir lig h te r and g re y e r c o lo u r, w h ite ahdomcii,
a ud n e a rly w h ite u n d e r ta il-co v e rts, wliicli have on ly a b la ck sh a ft-lin e ; m th e M au ritiu s
a n d B ourbon b ird th e brown colour overshadows tho whole o t th e u n d c rp a r ts , a n d tlie re is none
o f th e grey colour o n th e u p p e r su rfa c e ; th e m ulor ta il-co v c rts, as a ru le , p a r ta k e o f th e dingy
co lo u r o f liio u n d e r surface, b u t th ey a rc decidedly w h ite r iu some specimens th a n in oth e rs, and
show o n ly b rown m o ttlin g s a n d b la ck sh a ft-lin c s, b u t th e y a re n ev e r so white as th e Madaga sc a r b ird .
Hab. Madaga sc a r.
By t l ie m a jo rity o f w r ite r s th i s sp e c ie s is o n ly c o n s id e re d to b e a fo rm o r ra c e o f
i