218 BULLETIN 15 3, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



170, 172, 173.5, 174, 175, 177, 177, 181. Uganda, males: 177.5; fe- 

 male (immature) 167. Eastern Belgian Congo, males: 180, 181. 

 Tanganyika Territory, males: 176, 178, 183, 183.5, 186.5; females: 

 168 (immature) 179, 186. South Africa, male: (immature) 167, 

 unsexed 192.5. Cameroon, males: 167, 172.5; females: 169, 177, 

 Liberia, males: 179.5, 181. It will be noticed that Ethiopian birds 

 average larger than birds from Kenya Colony. It is also true that 

 the two maxima for the latter country (male 191 millimeters, female 

 181 millimeters) both come from a high altitude (Escarpment, 

 7,390 feet) while the others come from lower altitudes (under 5,500 

 feet). Granvik's type (male) of elgonensis (from an altitude of 

 7,000 feet) has a wing length of 190 millimeters thereby agreeing 

 with the Escarpment male. The eastern Congo is a highland region 

 and the birds from it, recorded above, and those listed by Gylden- 

 stoli^e -^ are fairly large. Likewise in Tanganyika Territory the 

 largest specimens listed come from the Uluguru Mountains. It 

 seems possible, therefore, that there may be a larger highland race 

 and a smaller lowland form, but at present it is impossible to tell 

 where one ends and the other begins. If two such forms be event- 

 ually satisfactorily defined, then the large form would be typical 

 semitorquata and the smaller one would have to be called by Swain- 

 son's name erythropJirys. I agree with Zedlitz that iiiinor is a valid 

 form, but would extend the range as given by him to include the 

 coastal strip of Kenya south of the Tanganyika border. The range 

 of semitorquata would have to be altered to cover the highlands of 

 East, South, and Central Africa. 



The long series of birds studied illustrate the sequence of plumages 

 and molts, and as some stages seem to be undescribed, the following 

 summary may prove useful. 



The Juvenal plumage is dark, dull earth brown on the top of the 

 head and the upper parts generally, including the wings, each 

 feather broadly tipped with bright rufous tawny, the tips being 

 especially broad on the head and nape; underparts paler brown, 

 more sandy in tone, and with pale tawny tips to the feathers. 



The post Juvenal molt seems to be a complete one, but more ma- 

 terial is needed to make certain of this point. The immature plum- 

 age resembles that of the adult but has the black nuchal crescent 

 poorly developed and has the remiges tipped wjth tawny cinnamon. 

 This plumage is replaced by a complete molt and is succeeded by the 

 adult plumage. 



Adults vary enormously, and for this reason long series are ab- 

 solutely essential to the study of geographic forms. Occasionally 

 one finds local outbreaks of erythrism or of x^aleness, but such cases, 

 while interesting and perplexing, are not to be taken for valid 



» Kungl. Sv. Vet. Akad. Handlgr., 1924, p. 310. 



