BIRDS OF ETHIOPIA AND KENYA COLONY 



83 



poliopterus as male, 295-315, female, 323 millimeters. The following 

 measurements indicate that these figures need revision, especially 

 with recrard to females. 



Locality 



Kenya Colony 



Do 



Do 



Ethiopia 



Somaliland 



Tanganyika Territory 

 Ethiopia 



Sex 



cf 



d^ 



cf immature 

 cf 



d^ (?) 



9 



? 



Wing 



312 

 318 

 306 

 311 

 296 

 325 

 355 



Tail 



234 

 223 

 224 

 219 

 213 

 233 

 243 



Culmen 

 (from 

 cere) 



20.0 

 19.0 

 20.0 

 20.0 

 20.0 

 22.0 

 22. 5 



According to some authors, such as Swann and Hartert, poliopterus 

 and metahates are races of musious^ whereas others consider each a 

 distinct species.^" Van Someren ^' considers poUoptemos specifically 

 distinct from musicus but places metahates as a race of the latter be- 

 cause, " * * * apparently M. poUopto^s and M. vietahates are 

 found in the same countries." Swann "^ doubts the occurrence of both 

 together, but Mearns certainly collected both in the same region. 

 However, it seems more natural to consider metahates specifically dis- 

 *tinct from musicus^ and poliopterus a race of the latter, rather than 

 the opposite as Van Someren has done. Both musicus and poliop- 

 terus have pure white upper tail coverts, whereas metahates has these 

 feathers barred. Of course, it might be argued that the secondaries 

 are a better taxonomic character than the upper tail coverts, in which 

 case Van Someren 's treatment would seem more proper, as both 

 7?iu^icus and metahates have these feathers finely vermiculated, and 

 poliopterus has them uniform gray. However, I have seen (see next 

 species) metahates with practically no vermiculations, and Swann ^^ 

 writes that poliopterus sometimes shows the freckling on the wings. 

 The upper tail coverts seem to be a more constant character. That 

 all three birds are very closely related is very evident. The forms 

 neumanni and mechowi are races of metahates, as Sclater ^* has cor- 

 rectly designated them. 



Besides the actual specimens collected, Mearns noted this goshawk 

 in the following places: Aletta, March 7-13, 1 seen; Abaya Lakes, 

 March 19-26, 6; near Gardula, March 2G-29, 2 birds; Gato Kiver, 

 March 29 to May 17, 100 ; Bodessa and Sagon Kiver, May 18 to June 

 G, 8 noted; Tertale, June 7, 4 seen; Turturo June 15-17, 4; Anole, 

 June 17, 2 seen; Wobok, June 18, 4 birds; near Saru, June 19, 4 seen ; 



^ See Sclater, Syst. Avium Ethiop., 1924, pp. 71-72. 



"iNov. Zool., vol. 29, 1922, p. 39. 



»2Monogr. Birds of Prey, pt. 3, 1925, p. 1G9. 



»■■' Idem, p. 1G9. 



"* Syst. Avium Ethiop., 1924, pp. 71-72. 



94312—30 7 



