BIRDS OF ETHIOPIA AND KENYA COLONY 85 



For reasons given under the preceding species, metahates is con- 

 sidered specificallj^ distinct from musicus of which folio'pterus is a 

 race. 



The species metdbates is said to have four races as'foUows: 



1. M. m. metdbates. — The range is usually considered to extend 

 from northeastern Africa to southern Sudan, Ethiopia, and southern 

 Arabia (Yemen) ; and Northern Nigeria. This is substantially the 

 range as given by Swann ^^ and Sclater.^^ However, Van Someren ^^ 

 records this bird from Turkana district, Uganda, and Loveridge 

 collected specimens (now in the Museum of Comparative Zoology) 

 at Eldoret, Kenya Colony, and at the following localities in Tan- 

 ganyika Territory — Mwadira and Nyambita (both near Mwanza) ; 

 Ulugu, Usshoro; and Ndala (near Tabora). The range is therefore 

 more extensive than mentioned above, and goes south to central 

 Tanganyika Territory. 



2. M. in. neumanni. — Of this race I have seen but one specimen ; ac- 

 cording to Swann (see above) it is lighter than typical metdbates; 

 the vermiculations of the wing coverts and secondaries are sometimes 

 developed into bars; the upper tail coverts less barred; it inhabits 

 the arid regions of the southern Sahara and south Saharan savan- 

 nas from Lake Chad to Kordofan, and Nubia, Ethiopia, Hausaland, 

 and the Ked Sea Province of the Sudan. The specimen examined 

 is from Ethiopia. (See next species.) 



3. M. 7n. mechowi. — Said to be darker above and below than meta- 

 bates. This race I have not seen and therefore can not form any 

 opinion on it. However, I have seen some rather dark eastern birds 

 {metabates) which almost fit the description of this race. The range 

 is said to be from southern Angola and northern Damaraland, east to 

 Nyasaland and Mashonaland. 



4. M. m. ignoscens. — Like Tnetabates but smaller; southwest Ara- 

 bia; seven specimens seen. 



A series of 30 specimens of metabates assembled for this study 

 illustrates the various 4)lumages of this hawk. The nestling col- 

 lected by Mearns on the Gato River, Ethiopia, is partly in juvenal 

 plumage, partly still covered Avith natal down. The down is a pale 

 dirty white with a faint suggestion of very pale gray brown. The 

 incompleteness of the juvenal plumage indicates that the last re- 

 gions of the body to be molted are the lower back, -sides, flanks, and 

 sides of the throat. The breast and center of the throat have the 

 new feathers only slightly developed, those of the throat less so 

 than the breasts. The forehead and a stripe down the center of the 

 head are likewise clothed only with down, no pennaceous feathers 



■" Synopslfs of Accipitres, 1922, p. 30. 

 »8Syst. Avium Ethiop., 1924, p. 72. 

 ••Nov. Zool., vol. 29, 1922, p. 39. 



