C H E L I D O N A L B I G E N A , lleugl.
I IE U G L IN ’S AIAllTIN.
Chelidon albigena, Heugl. J . f. 0 . 1861, p. 4 1 9 ; id. Om. N.O.-Afr. i. p. 169 (1869);
Sharpe, P . Z. S. 1870, p. 293 ; Dresser, B. E u r. iii. p. 499 (1875); Sharpe, Cat.
B. Brit. AIus. X. p. 94 (1885).
C. sabcaiulalibus albis : re c tric is extimse pogouio in tc rn o versus ba sin albo-nota to.
Hab. ill Africa septentrio n a li-o rien ta li.
A d u lt. Sim ila r to C. urbica, b u t differs in tb e th ro a t b e ing pu re pa le d usky a sb-colour, w ith a mous-
ta ch ia l lin e o f pu re white very d is tin c tly in dic a ted ; sides o f b re a s t, flanks, a u d u n d e r ta il-cove rts
delicately shaded w ith smoky g r e y ; o u te r w ebs o f u n d e r ta il-co v e rts w ith conspicuous sub tc rm in a l
dusky spots, th e sh a fts b la c k ish ; rum p whitish, th e middle fe a the rs d usky a sh-colour a n d marked
w ith some d u lle r spots j ta il em a rg in a te , slig h tly c.xtcnding beyond th e w ing (to th e e x ten t of
2 lin e s ) ; in n e r web o f o u te r ta il-fe a th e rs ma rk ed n e a r th e base with a conspicuous wliitish s p o t ;
b ill b la c k ; claws p a le h o rn -c o lo u r; iris dusky. T o ta l len g th 5 " , wiug 3 ” 1 1 " ', ta il 2 " 3 } '”.
ta rsu s 5 '" ‘8, culra en 2 '" '8 .
Hab. Bogos L a n d , N o rth -e a s t Africa.
T h i s species, if distinct species i t be, has n o t been rediscovered since th e late Baron von
Heu g lin described i t th ir ty years ago, and we have n o th in g to add to th e description
which he th en gave. H e considered i t to be decidedly different from C. urhica, thougli
of the same size as th e latter. He w rite s :—“ The well-defined white chcek-stripe, tin*
slightly forked tail, and the white spot on th e in n er web of th e outer tail-feather a re the
strik in g characters which distinguish th e species, a p a rt from th e colour o f th e under
surface of the body.
“ I only m et with i t on one occasion, a t th e beginning of Au g u st ISGl, iu a somewhat
large flock, after a violent thunderstorm, n e a r Keren, in th e Bogos country. I
shot several birds, which, on th e whole, were similarly marked. I took them for Common
Alartins u n til I saw th e grey colour of th e u nder su rfa c e ; in only one of the specimens
is th e lig h t colour on the in n er web of the outer tail-feather almost entirely absent.”
The description is copied from th a t given in th e well-known work of Baron vou
Heuglin, on th e Ornithology of N.E. Africa.
E o r the geographical distribution of Heugliu's Alartin, tide infra, Plate 7 [Alap].
3 n 2