416 BULLETIN 15 3, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Somaliland, Ennia and Arussi Gallaland. Although L. flavirostris 

 has the same geographic range, the two species are ecologically quite 

 distinct, the latter favoring the more luxuriant vegetation along the 

 banks of the periodic streams rather than the real thorn country. 

 Blanford ^® writes that erythrorliynchus inhabits a lower zone of 

 elevation in general than -flamrostris, although the two do occur to- 

 gether in many places. He found the red-billed species on the An- 

 seba River, in the Lebka Valley, in Samhar, and near Mayen, but 

 never in the highlands. Zedlitz,^*^ however, says that this species is 

 very abundant at elevations of 2,000 meters (6,600 feet) and higher. 



The breeding season is rather prolonged. Mearns shot a mated 

 pair of these birds on the Sagon River on June 6, while Erlanger ®^ 

 and Von Heuglin and others found the breeding season in Ethiopia 

 to be from February to April. In Eritrea, according to Zedlitz, the 

 birds breed in summer (June to July), an observation in keeping 

 with the dates given for Darfur by Lynes '^^ and hinted at for 

 Ethiopia by Blanford. 



In northern Kenya Colony the breeding season appears to be some- 

 what earlier as the birds collected at Er-re-re are in fresh plumage, 

 a sign of postbreeding condition, while others from Endoto Moun- 

 tains a-nd the Tana River, and from southern Ethiopia (Yebo) are 

 in molt and may have been in breeding condition when shot. 



The wing molt begins with the third or fourth primary. Later 

 two other molt centers develop — the carpal joint, and the*next to the 

 outermost primary. The tail molt is centrifugal and, for a horn- 

 bill, very regular. 



Mearns observed this hornbill as follows: Bodessa and Sagon 

 River, May 18 to June 6, 85 ; Tertale, June 7-12, 150 ; El Ade, June 

 12-14, 225 seen ; Mar Mora, June 15, 100 ; Turturo, June 15-17, 100 ; 

 Anole, June 17, 10 seen ; Wobok, June 18, 10 birds ; near Saru, June 

 19, 1,000; Yebo, June 20, 500; Karsa Barecha, June 21, 1,000 birds; 

 Chaffa villages, June 22-24, 560 birds; plains at base and south of 

 Endoto Mountains, July 19-24, 1,100; Er-re-re, July 25, 2,400; Le-se- 

 dun, July 26, 200; Malele and country to the south for 45 miles, 

 July 27-30, 350 seen; Northern Guaso Nyiro River, July 31 to Au- 

 gust 3, 60 birds; Lekiundu River, August 4-8, 80; Meru, August 9, 

 20 seen; Tharaka district, August 12-13, 24 birds; Tana River, 

 August 14, 30 seen; Tana River, at mouth of Thika River, August 

 23-26, 20 birds noted. 



"Journ. f. Ornith., 1905, pp. 442-443. 

 68Geol. and Zool. Abyss., 1870, p. 328. 

 w Journ. f. Ornlth., 1910, p. 764. 

 «» Ibis, 1925, p. 381. 



