PSALIDOPROCNE PETITI.
Psalidoprocne petiti, Sharpe & Bouvier, Bull. Sue. Zool. Prance, i. p. 38, pi. ii.
(1876) ; Oustalet, Bull. Soc. Philom. (7) i. p. 106 (1877) ; Bocage, Orn. Angola,
p. 188 (1881) ; Oustalet, Nouv. Arch. Mus. (2) ii. p. 96 (1879) ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds
in Brit. Mus. x. p. 204 (1885).
P s . su p rà fum o so -n ig ra ; c apitc d o rso c o u co lo re ; su b a la rib u s e t a x illa rib u s fumoso-albis.
Hab. in Afric à oc c id en ta li tra n s -c q u a to ria li.
A d u lt male (type o f species). G en e ra l colour above so o ty b la ck j le sse r au d m ed ian w ing-cove rts lik e th e
ba ck ; g r e a te r coverts, ba sta rd -w in g , prim a ry -co v e rts, a u d q u ills b la ck ; ta il-fc a th c rs black ; lores
velvety b la ck ; cheeks, e a r-cove rts, a n d u n d e r surfa c e o f bod y so o ty b la ck lik e th e u p p e r su rfa c e ;
u n d e r w ing-cove rts a n d axilla rie s p a le sm o k y b rowu ; q u ills d u sk y below, b row n e r a lo n g th e
in n e r w e b : “ eyes b la c k ” [P e tit). T o ta l le n g th 5-8 iuche s, c u lm eu 0-25, w ing -kOu, ta il 2 ’9,
ta rsu s 0 '3 5 .
A d u lt fem a le . Sim ila r to th e male in colour, b u t w a n tin g th e s e rra te d edge to th e o u te r web o f th e first
p rim a ry . T o ta l len g th 5 '2 iuches, c u lm en 0 '2 5 , win g 3 '5 5 , ta il 2 '5 , ta r s u s 0 '4 .
\o u n y . Sim ila r to th e ad u lt, b u t n o t so g io s sy ; bclow m u ch p a le r aud m ore e a r th y lirown.
Hub. AVest A f r ic a ; from th e Congo to Gaboon.
T h i s species was discoverotl by llr . Loais Petit at Landana on the Congo, and was also
mot with hy Dr. Lnoan at Chinolionxo in the same district and about tho same time.
We have recently seen several specimens also collected by Mr. Petit in the Congo region.
Dr. Oustalet records a speoiinou from Sam-Quita iu Gaboon, where it was obtained hy
the well-known traveller Marche on the 18th of December 1875.
Of all tho rough-winged Swallows of Africa this is ono of tho most distinct, being
distinguished by the pale smoky-brown axillaries and under wing-coverts. The nearest
ally is Ps. antinorii, which, however, has the under wing-ooverts pure white.
The figure in the Plate is drawn from a specimen in the British Museum, and tlie
descriptions are taken from the ‘ Catalogue of Birds.'