BIEDS OF ETHIOPIA AND KENYA COLONY 151 



LISSOTIS MELANOGASTER (Ruppell) 



Otis melanogastcr Ruppell, N. Wirbelth. VJig., p. 16, pi. 7, 1835 : Lake Tsana, 

 Ethiopia. 



When we consider the abundance of records of this bird in Mearns' 

 diary, and the fact that he knew the species from his experience with 

 it on the Roosevelt expedition, the absence of specimens is hard to 

 understand. I find the following entries which apparently refer to 

 Lissoth inelanog aster: Loco and Gidabo River, March 15-17, 2 seen; 

 Abaya Lakes, March 18-23, 14 birds; Bodessa and Sagon River, 

 May 19 to June 6, 52 noted; Anole, June 17, 4 seen; Wobok, June 

 18, 2; near Saru, June 19, 4; Yebo, June 20, 4 birds; Karsa Barecha, 

 June 21, 10 seen; Malata, June 22, 10; Chaffa villages, June 23-24, 

 10; southeast of Lake Rudolf, July 12, 2 seen; Indunumara Moun- 

 tains, July 13-18, 90 birds ; plains at base and south of Endoto Moun- 

 tains, July 19-24, 54 birds; Er-re-re, July 25, 20 seen; Le-se-dun, 

 July 26, 20 seen; Malele and the district to the south for 45 miles, 

 July 27-30, 70 birds noted ; Northern Guaso Nyiro River, July 31 to 

 August 3, 35 ; Lekiundu River, August 4-8, 40 birds ; Meru, August 

 9, 4 seen ; Tana River, August 18-23, 10 birds. 



Order CHARADRIIFORMES 

 Family JACANIDAE 



ACTOPHILORNIS AFRICANUS (Gmelin) 



Parra afrioana Gmelin, Syst. Nat., vol. 1, pt. 2, p. 709, 1789. Africa : re- 

 stricted type locality, Ethiopia (Grant, Ibis, 1915, p. 59). 



Specimens collected: 



Male immature, female subadult, Gidabo River, Ethiopia, March 

 17, 1912. 



Male adult, unsexed immature, near Lake Abaya, Ethiopia, March 

 17, 1912. 



Oberholser ^^ has shown that Actophilus Oberholser is preoccu- 

 pied by Actophilus Agassiz, and proposes the new generic appella- 

 tion here used. 



Of these four specimens one is in perfect adult plumage with black upper 

 sides of head and neck and deep chestnut body ; one has the upper side of the 

 head and neck sepia, the back Dresden brown, and the underparts white, ex- 

 cept the yellow chest collar, with a sprinkling of chestnut feathers coming 

 in with the molt ; and the remaining two are intermediate, having acquired 

 much of the chestnut body plumage. (E. A. Mearns.) 



The sequence of plumages and molts in this species has never been 

 described. The present account is based on rather insufficient mate- 

 rial, but may serve to give a general picture of what takes place. 



w Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., vol. 38, 1925, p. 90. 



