12 BULLETIN 15 3, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Someren ^ writes that, " * * * a ' pigmy ' ostrich has been re- 

 ported from south of Lake Rudolf, but no specimens have been 

 procured." 



Judging from the paucity of observational records, as listed above, 

 it would seem that the ostrich is rather uncommon in southern 

 Ethiopia and northern Kenya Colony. 



Lonnberg, who collected an ostrich near Lekiundu River, makes no 

 particular comment on the abundance of the bird other than that the 

 species was seen several times to the east of the Marsabit road, usually 

 on open plains in the thorn bush, but occasionally even in thick thorn 

 bush. 



The bare skin of the neck of inolyhdophanes is bluish-gray like 

 that of the South African australis, while the form in the inter- 

 mediate area, massaiciis, has the skin reddish in color. 



An adult male ostrich sent from Adis Abeba as a present to Presi- 

 dent Roosevelt by King Menelik and which lived for a time in the 

 National Zoological Park, and is now in the United States National 

 Museum (212991), has the following measurements: Culmen (chord) 

 72 ; width of midrib of maxilla between nostrils, 16 ; width of maxilla 

 at posterior border of nostrils, 44 ; from tip of bill to eye, 125 ; from 

 tip of bill to angle of mouth, 139; from tip of bill to feathered por- 

 tion of neck, 710; length of tibia, 540; tarsus, 515; greater toe with- 

 out claw (measured above), 192; claw of great toe (measured above) 

 60 millimeters (E. A. Mearns). 



The only comparable measurement of the data presented by Lonn- 

 berg * is that from the tip of the bill to the feathered portion of the 

 neck, which is only 660 millimeters in the Lekiundu bird as opposed 

 to 710 in the Adis Abeba specimen. Both were old males. 



In the bird sent by King Menelik there are several mostly white 

 feathers at the base of the neck on each side. 



In 1909 (September-October) Colonel Roosevelt collected a mated 

 pair and five young, together with seven eggs at Isiola River, North- 

 ern Guaso Nyiro River, Kenya Colony. These now form an exhi- 

 bition group in the L^nited States National Museum and are labeled 

 cannelus but are really inolyhdophanes. The male weighed 263, and 

 the female 240 pounds avoirdupois. 



Apparently ostriches are less numerous in central Ethiopia than 

 farther south. Mearns saw none between Djibouti and Adis Abeba, 

 although the eggs were seen in native markets, and only two along 

 the Ha wash River on February 11. He found none at Gato River 

 or Bodessa but Frick saw a few near Tertale. 



' Novit. Zool., 1922, vol. 29, p. 4. 



''Kungl. Sv. Vet. Akademlens Handlgr., vol. 47, 1911, pp. 34-35. 



