i! il
PHEDINA BRAEZAE-
/ J /
P H E D I N A B R A Z ZÆ, Ousùdet.
D E B R A Z Z A ’S S T R I P E D SW A L L OW .
P h e d in a hrazzoe, O u s ta le t, L c N a tu r a lis te , J u ly 1S8G, p. 3 0 0 .
P. similis P. madagascariensi, ■
ciistinguenda.
1 subtùs omninô alba, uigro striolata, gutture miiümè cincraceo
Hab. ill regione Cougica Africæ occidentalis.
Aduli male. All the upper surface of tbe body silky brown, slightly glossed with green on the wings
and tail, aud slightly streaked in an irregular manner with brown on the head and back ; the
chin, throat, and abdomen are of a silvery white, with very well-defined brown streaks on the
centre of the feathers. These streaks, very fine on the throat and breast, become rather larger
on tbe flanks, and especially on the under tail-coveits ; they are also distinguishable, but less
distinctly marked, ou the under wing-coverts : “ bill, feet, aud iris bronze ” {De Brazza). Total
length about 7 inches, wing 3'9, tail 2 ’3. {E. Oustalet.)
Hab. Nganciou station, River Congo.
T h e d isco v e ry o f a spec ie s o f P h e d in a iu th e C o n g o R e g io n is a v e ry in t e r e s tin g fa c t, as
th e g e n u s h a s h ith e r to b e e n su p p o se d to b e p e c u lia r to ¡Madagasc ar a n d tlie M a sc a re n o
Is la n d s .
W h e n wc we re in P a r is la s t we h a d o n ly tim e to l a k e a h u r r ie d lo o k a t th e ty p e of
P . hrazziB, a n d w e re n o t ab le to c om p a re i t c r itic a lly w ith P . borbonica ; b u t i t c e r ta in ly
a p iic a re d to h e a t r u e P h e d in a , a n d q u ite d i s tin c t from P . borbonica a n d P . m a d a g a sc
a rien sis. I t is a m u c h sm a lle r b ird th a n th e tw o la s t-n am e d sp e c ie s , a n d h a s n o g re y
o n th e th r o a t , th e u n d e r s u rfa c e b o iu g e n tir e ly w h ite w i th b la c k is h s tre a k s .
T h e ty p e sp e c im e n , m a rk e d a m a le , was o b ta in e d b y M . d e B ra z z a u t a p o s t c a lle d
G a n c iu o r N g a n c io u , ou th e Con g o , o n th e 1 9 th o f J u ly , 1881-.
T h e fig u re in th e P la t e h a s b e e n d raw n from a sk e tc h o f th e ty p ic a l sp e c im e n iiuulc
for u s b y M r. Iv e u lem a u s w h e n h e w a s l a s t iu P a r is . T h e d e s c rip tio n h a s b e e n tr a n s la te d
from th e o r ig in a l o n e o f D r. O u s ta le t.
E o r th e g eo g ra p h ic a l d is tr ib u tio n o f th i s spec ie s, v id e in fr à , P la t e 13 [ i l a p ] .