BIRDS OF ETHIOPIA AND KENYA COLONY 295 



Furthermore Von Heuglin leported the bird from Mensa and Tsad- 

 Amba on the Anseba Kiver, and Reichenow ^^ duly mentioned these 

 localities which are also north of the Mareb. The southern limits 

 of the range as given by Neunzig are correct as far as known. 

 Agapornis taranta is a highland bird, occurring at altitudes of from 

 4,500 to 10,500 feet (1,350 to 3,150 meters). Blanford never saw it 

 below 7,000 feet (2,100 meters) and recorded it as very local, being 

 jDarticularly numerous near Adigrat. Von Heuglin met with it 

 in groups of from pairs or single families to as many as 80 birds, 

 chiefly in tall trees such as junipers, but in the candelabra euphorbias 

 as well. Erlanger noted it in the luxuriant valleys in the highlands 

 of Shoa, in the forests, the taller euphorbias, and even in the culti- 

 vated areas of the Gallas. 



Little is known of the breeding season. Blanford writes that his 

 collector obtained an egg in April, " * * * which he assured 

 me belonged to this bird, from a hole in a tree, and there can be little 

 doubt of its having been correctly identified." On the basis of his 

 observations of the pairing of these birds, and the fact that the 

 members of each pair seemed loath to leave each other, Zedlitz con- 

 cluded that the breeding season began in the summer when fruits 

 and seeds were most available. This last is somewhat confused, and, 

 inasmuch as manj' parrots are known to mate for life, Zedlitz's ob- 

 servations are, in themselves, no very reliable index of the breeding 

 time. 



Order STRIGIFORMES 

 Family TYTONIDAE 



TYTO ALBA AFFINIS (Blyth) 



Strix affinis Blyth. Ibis, 1862, p. 388 : Cape of Good Hope. 



Although Mearns did not collect any barn owls, he recorded see- 

 ing one in the Indunumara Mountains, July 14-18, and another 27 

 miles south of Malele, July 29. 



Family STRIGIDAE 



OTUS SCOPS PULCHELLUS (Pallas) 



Stryx piilchella Pallas, Reise versch. Prov. Russ. Reichs, vol. 1, p. 456, 1771: 

 Volga River, South Russia. 



Specimens collected: 



Male, Moulu, Ethiopia, December 17, 1911. 



Only two races of the European scops owl migrate to Africa, 

 where they occur in winter as far south as northern Uganda, 

 the typical race and the present one. O. s. pulchellus may be told 



=» V6g. Afr., vol. 2, p. 21. 



