BIRDS OF ETHIOPIA AND KENYA COLONY 149 



of all the forms of Lophotis ruficnsta, wing (male) 239-257 milli- 

 meters.^*^ This form is certainly the most distinct and may be a 

 species and not a race. Both Lynes and Sclater give it full specific 

 standing, but it is so obviously related to ruficiista that it seems more 

 natural to consider it a race of that species. I have, however, seen no 

 material of savilei (the only race not available for the present 

 study). 



The subadult male from Lekiundu River, Kenya Colony, has the 

 breast like the female but the black of the abdomen is invading the 

 white of the upper abdomen and replacing the white; the median 

 black line in the throat is beginning to appear ; the top of head, neck, 

 and nape are as in the female; the back is more rufescent and has, on 

 the average, larger black markings than in any of the adults. 



Another male (from Bodessa, U.S.N.M. No." 243330) is in full adult 

 plumage, except for the top of the head which is still like the female, 

 indicating that this region is the last to molt. The nuchal tufts are 

 well developed ; the breast is light bluish gray, except laterally where 

 it is much mottled with buffy and brownish. No black midthroat 

 line is present, however. 



In all plumages the upper parts become darker, less rufescent, with 

 wear as the lighter edges of the feathers disappear with abrasion, 

 leaving the dark centers more exposed and prominent. 



The Juvenal female from Bodessa is in the last stages of the post- 

 natal molt. Inasmuch as this plumage appears to be undescribed, 

 1 append a detailed account of it. 



Forehead and lores ochraceous tawny, white superiorly, the median 

 line of the forehead, crown, and anterior part of the occiput black, 

 the feathers tipped with ochraceous tawny ; posterior part of occiput 

 similar but the tips lighter, more whitish, and the feathers with a 

 large, visible whitish spot on each web at about the middle of the 

 feather, these spots and the terminal whitish buff tips giving a 

 barred appearance to the hind part of the occiput ; nape light ochra- 

 ceous buff with a white ring; scapulars, interscapulars, and back 

 much mottled with black on a rufescent wood brown background, the 

 feathers with a wide black centrally indented shaft streak, and 

 ti^iped with bright sudan brown subterminally bordered with white, 

 the brown tips becoming slightly lighter, more ochraceous anteriorly ; 

 lesser upper wing coverts like the scapulars but lighter, with the 

 brown tips more ochraceous tawny, the white subterminal bands 

 broader, the black shaft streaks broken up, merging with the vermi- 

 culations on the vexilla; the middle coverts with the ground color 

 white instead of pale wood brown or rufous buff as in the lesser ones; 



'•« See Lynes, Ibis, 1925, pp. 557-559. 



