BIRDS OF ETHIOPIA AND KENYA COLONY 19 



Egypt), and all records of this species from tropical Africa are 

 probably referable to tnelanorhynclius. 



Gyldenstolpe -° lists a specimen from Kabare, south of Lake 

 Edward, eastern Belgian Congo, as G . alhus alhus but notes that the 

 legs were black. The typical form olbus has the bare portion of the 

 tibia yellow and only the tarso-metatarsus black, whereas both are 

 black in melanorhynchus. 



Van Someren -^ lists the species without any subspecific determina- 

 tion and calls it the " European white heron," and writes that it is 

 a winter visitor, not resident in Kenya Colony. In this he is prob- 

 ably mistaken. However, many wading birds seem to have a partial 

 migration according to the rains and the consequent inundation or 

 drying up of suitable spots, which, coupled with the belief that the 

 species was a European one might readily have led Van Someren to 

 assume the white herons vrere migratory in the usual sense of the 

 term. 



Hartert ^- has discussed the races of this species in detail and 

 recognizes melanorhynchus. Oberholser, however,-^ considers Afri- 

 can specimens of C asmerodius alhus to be the same as European 

 and central Asiatic birds and writes that the " colors of the bill, 

 tarsus, and bare portion of the tibia, which have been sometimes 

 used as specific distinctions, are more or less unsatisfactory for this 

 purpose, because of very great seasonal changes ; and until more is 

 known regarding the actual process and sequence of these changes it 

 is not safe to use the colors of these parts as diagnoses." 



Both specimens collected by the Frick expedition have the long 

 nuptial plumes well developed, and lightly tinged with straw yellow. 

 Aside from these two birds, the species was met with as follows: 

 Abaya Lakes, March 18-26, 21 seen; Lake Kudolf, July 5-8, 500 

 birds; southeast of Lake Rudolf, July 10-11, 29 seen; Tana River, 

 August 15, 2; Athi River, August 31, 1 bird seen. 



EGRETTA GARZETTA GARZETTA (Linnaeus) 



Ardea garzetta Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 12, vol. 1, p. 237, 1766: " In Oriente." 



Specimens collected: 



Male adult, east shore Lake Rudolf, Kenya Colony, July 5, 1912. 

 Female adult, south tip of Lake Rudolf, Kenya Colony, July 

 7, 1912. 



Soft parts: iris yellowish white; legs and feet black, yellow on 

 underside of toes, and yellow spots on tops of toes, claws and bill 

 dusky grayish, palest at base of mandible. 



2«Kungl. Sv. Vet. Akad. Handlgr., 1924, p. 293. 

 «Nov. Zool., vol. 29, 1922, p. 9. 



22Vogel der Palilrktischen Fauna, vol. 2, pp. 1236-1239. 

 "Auk, vol. 36, 1919, pp. 557-558. 



94312—30 3 



