BIRDS OF ETHIOPIA AND KENYA COLONY 43 



Erianger ^^ described three new races of this vulture, thereby mak- 

 ing four in all. Of more recent writers, the only ones who recognize 

 any of these three are Swann '" and BaimermanJ^ Other workers 

 either reject them outright or withhold recognition because of lack 

 of material. The material which I have had the opportunity of 

 examining is not particularly extensive but is suggestive in that it 

 indicates in no uncertain terms that all the so-called races of this 

 vulture may be accounted for by plumage variations within the geo- 

 graphical range of the typical form. Not only do some individuals 

 agree with one form and others from the same place Avith different 

 ones, but some individuals have the upper parts of one race and the 

 underparts of another. Thus, for instance, an adult male from 

 Ulukenia Hills, Kenya Colony (U.S.N.M. 214789) has the upper 

 parts like Erlanger's figure" of fullehorni and the underparts like 

 those of zechi (fig. 4). Another from Rhino Camp, West Nile, 

 Uganda (U.S.N.M. 216278) resembles schillingsi above and africamus 

 below. 



In this connection it is interesting to note that Gyldenstolpe "^ 

 records a specimen from the eastern Congo (not ver}^ far from Rhino 

 Camp) which, " * * * seems to agree best with the description 

 of fullebornV The race schillingsi is said to be grayer than typical 

 africanus; fiillehorni is paler than schillingsi; and zechi is still 

 paler than fullehorni. However, any individual may go through all 

 these plumages in turn, becoming grayer and paler with succeeding 

 years. Granvik ^"^ seems to have reversed the sequence of plumages 

 and makes out the pale plumage to be immature and the dark type 

 adult. On the other hand, it may possibly be that while eastern 

 specimens may occasionally achieve the paleness said to be charac- 

 teristic of zechi.^ the latter may be definitely and consistently lighter 

 and be worthy of nomenclatural distinction. The forms schillingsi 

 and fullehorni seem not at all different from africanus. 



Granvik " in commenting on Erlanger's races, writes as follows : 

 " Without the least hesitation I might well refer my specimens to the 

 forms described by him. * * * My three birds are, however, 

 all shot by the nests and thus stationary in cme and the same small 

 area." 



Age, season, and wear seem to account for all differences in plum- 

 age, and these vultures are p group notorious for the amount of 



«" Journ. f. Ornith., 1904, pp. 148-152. 



""> Synopsis of Accipitres, cd. 2, 1922, pp. 8-9. 



""■ Ibis, 1023, p. 743 ; 1924, p. 212. 



'= Journ. f. Ornith., 1904, pi. 3, fig. 3. 



'3 Kungl. Sv. Vet. Akad. Handlpr., 1924, p. 289. 



7* Journ. f. Ornith., 1923, Sonderheft, p. 63. 



"Idem, 1923, Sonderheft, p. 63. 



