BIRDS OF ETHIOPIA AND KENYA COLONY 33 



(Naivasha and Nairobi) and from Tanganyika Territory. The 

 difference is not one of age, as I have seen both immature and adult 

 birds from Tanganyika Territory and they agree in having these 

 feathers bluish rather than purplish. 



A male in fresh plumage from Rhino Camp, West Nile, Uganda 

 (U.S.N.M. 216076) is intermediate between Abyssinian and east 

 •African (Kenya) birds in the amount of purplish. 



Birds in breeding condition often (perhaps always) *^ have the 

 long feathers on the flanks and some of the outer wing coverts pale 

 yellowish or straw color. 



The greenish gloss on the tips of the remiges sometimes wears or 

 fades away leaving the feathers brown instead. This seems to 

 happen more frequently on the three outermost primaries and the 

 outermost secondaries than on any of the others. 



According to Zedlitz *^ the breeding season of this bird in northern 

 Ethiopia begins not earlier than May, while Erlanger judged that in 

 southern Ethiopia it starts about the end of March. Unfortunately 

 Mearns made no note of the condition of the gonads in his specimens. 



The Madagascan race hernieri Bonaparte is very distinct, almost 

 specifically so. The Aldabra race ahhotti Riclgway is also valid. 



Besides the actual specimens collected, the species was observed as 

 follows : 



Ethiopia : East of Saleish, January 19, few noted ; Hawash River, 

 January 26 to February 13, a few single birds here and there ; Black 

 Abaya Lake, March 18-19, 24 seen. 



Kenya Colony: Hor, lat. 3° 19' N., a solitary individual seen and 

 wounded on June 28, and one collected two days later ; Lake Rudolf, 

 flock of 100, July 5; 25 miles southeast of Lake Rudolf, 4 seen, 

 July 12. 



It is rather curious that Mearns did not record this ibis south of 

 the Lake Rudolf district as the bird comes in great numbers to the 

 lakes of the Rift Valley, such as Naivasha, Nakuru, Elmenteita, 

 Baringo, and Huntington, during July and August, and is common 

 even away from water although more numerous around lakes than 

 in drier parts. 



HAGEDASHIA HAGEDASH NILOTICA Neumann 



Haffcdashia hagedash nUotica Nejumann, Ornis, vol. 13, p. 193, 1909: Kimo, 

 uear Adis Abeba, Ethiopia. 



Sp e dm e /? s co Uecte d : 



Adult male, Botola, Sidamo, Ethiopia, March 5, 1912. 



" According to Van Someren, Nov. Zool., vol. 20, 1922, p. 8 ; and Granvik, Journ. f. 

 Ornith., 1923, Sonderheft, p. 43. 



^ Journ. f. Ornith., vol. 48, 1010, p. 327. 



