124 BULLETIN 153, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Grant *^ writes that the latter race has the upper parts of infuscatus 

 and the under parts of leucoscepus. However, the present five birds 

 are darker below than typical leucoscepus^ nOt above, as rriuharned- 

 hen-abdullah should be, according to Grant. 



One of the males has but one spur on each tarsus, while the other 

 three have tAvo. The males have wings measuring 210, 211, 215, and 

 219 millimeters, respectively, while the female has a wing 206 milli- 

 meters long, but is molting. 



Zedlitz ^^ writes that this spur fowl is a denizen of the lowlands in 

 sparsely vegetated areas, and that it does not occur at altitudes of 

 more than about 1,900 or 2,000 feet (600 meters). It is very common 

 in the northern stretches of Danakil-land, where it finds cover in the 

 denser thickets along the stream banks. The breeding season is in 

 early spring — January to April. 



PTERNISTES LEUCOSCEPUS MUHAMED-BEN-ABDULLAH Erlanger 



Pternistcs leucoscepus miihamed-ben-abd^ullah Erlanger, Orn. Monatsb., vol. 

 12, p, 97, 1904 : Between El Uak and Bardera, South Somalilanfl. 



Specimens collected: 



Three female adults, 18 miles southwest of Hor, Kenya Colony, 

 July 2, 1912. 



Male adult, Endoto Mountains, Kenya Colony, July 20, 1912. 



Female adult, south Endoto Mountains, Kenya Colony, July 23, 

 1912. 



Male adult, 35 miles north of Northern Guaso Nyiro, Kenya 

 Colony, July 29, 1912. 



This race is intermediate between leucoscepiis and infuscatus in 

 coloration. From the former it may be told by its darker upper parts 

 (narrower white shaft streaks and darker margins), and from the 

 latter by its lighter under parts (wider white areas). 



In adult males the spurs vary in number. Thus, one individual 

 has one on each tarsus; another has two on the left and one on the 

 right leg ; still another has two on each ; and one bird has three on 

 the left tarsus and two on the right. In the last case, the shorter, 

 more tibial of the spurs on the right leg is very broad basally and 

 looks as though it might really be a fusion of two. 



This race of the ^pur fowl was noted as follows : Dry River south 

 of Hor, July 1-2, 30 birds; Dussia, July 3^, 10 seen; Indunumara 

 Mountains, July 13, 2 noted ; plains at base and to south of Endoto 

 Mountains, July 19-24, 110 observed; Er-re-re, July 25, 100 seen; 

 Le-se-dun, July 26, 25 noted; Malele to about 45 miles south of 

 Malele, July 27-30, 175 or more birds seen in all, but some noted 

 every day. 



«2Ibis, 1915, p. 21. 



"Journ. f. Ornith., 1910, pp. 355-356. 



