I’rof. Alilne-Edwards and AI. Grandidier in th e volume devoted to th e ornithology of the
island. These gen tlemen reg a rd Cotlle cowani as a v a rie ty or subspecies of th e African
(7. paludicola, and th is is th e view advanced in tho ‘ Catalogue of Birds.’ They admit
tlie differences of colour exhibited by th e Aladagascar form, b u t th ey consider th a t these
“ c annot be regarded as o f specific worth, especially if one rcnicmbers th a t in Aladagascar
animals of th e same species exhibit, in th e easte rn side of the island, a coat or a plumage
of a d a rk e r tin t th a n in th e west.”
The differences between this species and C. paludicola are, liowever, extremely
well marked and co n stan t, and wc have uo hesitation in recognizing i t as a distinct
form.
Our friend th e llov. Doans Cowan has given us the following note on th is species :—
“ This bird, with its eggs, ivas on several occasions b ro u g h t to me a t Anka fana, a small
forest ab o u t fo u r miles west of th e G reat F o re st in Botsileo. I gatliered th a t th ese had
been tak en in holes in some bank, of which th e re were u o t a few ab o u t th e place. The
birds were tak en a t th e same tim e as th e eggs. There were a n um ber of Swallows flying
about the open glades of th e forest,- a t ab o u t .50 to GO feet from tlie ground. These I
took to be Coiile cowani; b u t I never sliot any of them, so tlia t I am n o t positively sure
th a t they were so.
“ A small Sw'allow, perhaps Colile, was very commonly to be seen a t certa in seasons
skimming almost every large pool o f water or riv e r.”
The descriptions a re copied from th e ‘ Catalogue of B ir d s ’ and th e figures in th e
P la te repre sent an ad u lt au d a young bird from Captain Shelley’s collection. According
to Mr. Deans Cowan the native name is ‘ F iririn g a ,’ th e same as th a t of the Bhedina of
Aladagascar.