BIRDS OF ETHIOPIA AND KENYA COLONY 185 



one of Riippell's two types agrees with the plate, the other being 

 Juvenal, and therefore that the bird figured must serve as the type. 



The two specimens collected by Mearns certainly agree with 

 Riippell's colored figure and differ from typical capensis (which oc- 

 curs farther south in "Kenya Colony) in being generally lighter, less 

 widely streaked on the breast, and less heavily spotted above. The 

 difference, however, is not great. This record is of interest in con- 

 nection with Van Someren's statement ^^ that Zedlitz's suggestion 

 that this form ranges to the Victoria Nyanza needs verification, but 

 that birds from Baringo and Lake Rudolf may belong to this race. 

 It seems quite probable that the birds of the Lake Rudolf and 

 Baringo country are afjinis^ but I should hesitate to claim the same 

 for those of Lake Victoria. Birds from the Guaso Nyiro and from 

 Nairobi are typical capensis. 



As far as the material examined goes, the distributional data pre- 

 sented by Sclater ^^ seem correct, except that affinis ranges farther 

 south than he indicates — as far as Lake Rudolf. 



A young bird of the typical race in late postnatal molt (from 

 Singida. Tanganyika Territory, A. Loveridge collection) indicates 

 that the natal down of the upper parts is pale, dull, tawny gray, 

 with pale tawny tips, while that of the under parts is pure white 

 except on the throat and upper breast where the neossoptiles are 

 subterminally banded with dusky grayish brown. The juvenal 

 plumage resembles that of the adult except in having the feathers 

 of the upper parts and wing coverts with wide dark brown shaft 

 streaks, not with coarse, heavy spots as in adults. 



This species was observed as follows: Hor, June 26-30, 6 seen; 

 dry river south of Hor, July 1-2, 2 birds ; Lake Rudolf and country 

 immediately to the southeast, July 5-10, 35 seen; Northern Guaso 

 Nyiro River, July 31 to August 3, 4 noted; Lekiundu River, August 

 4^8, 4 birds. 



OEDICNEMUS VERMICULATUS VERMICULATUS Cabanis 



Oedicnemus vermiculatus Cabanis, Journ. f. Ornith., 1868, p. 413 : East Africa ; 

 i. e., Lake Jipe, uear Teita, Kenya Colony (see Finsch and Hartlaub, Vt)g. 

 Ostafr. p. 623). 



Specimens collected: 



Male, Tana River, opposite mouth of Thika River, Kenya Col- 

 ony. August 23, 1912. 



According to Mrs. Meinertzhagen's *- review of this genus and 

 Sclater's list *^ there are two races of this bird ; the typical, eastern 



^ Syst. Avium Ethiop., 1924, p. 142. 

 "Nov. Zool., vol. 29, 1922, p. 17. 

 '-Ibis, 1924. pp. 341-343. 

 ''- Syst. Avium Etliiop., 1924, p. 143. 



