BIRDS OF ETHIOPIA AND KENYA COLONY 285 



above were brought in with the nest and another nestling by a 

 native boy. Mearns wrote in his diary that — 



* * * the nest is a slovenly structure compounded of a messy mixture 

 of coarse grasses and dry leaves, small sticks, and a good deal of dirt mixed 

 with rubbish from the ground. 



Besides the specimens collected, this coucal was observed as fol- 

 lows: Aletta, March 7-13, 4 seen; Loco, March 13-15, 2; Gidabo 

 River, March 15-17, 2 birds; Abaya Lakes, March 18-26, 68; near 

 Gardula, March 26-28, 10 seen; Gato River, March 29 to May 17, 

 100; Bodessa and Sagon River, May 18 to June 6, 100; Tertale, June 

 7-12, 20 seen; El Ade, June 12-14, 30; Mar Mora, June 15, 20 birds; 

 Turturo, June 15-17, 10 seen; Anole, June 17, 10; Wobok, June 18, 

 10 seen; near Saru, June 19, 10 birds; Yebo, June 20, 4 noted; 

 Karsa Barecha, June 21, 4 birds; Northern Guaso Nyiro River, 

 July 31 to August 3, 12 seen ; Lekiundu River, August -4-8, 10 birds ; 

 Meru and Kilindini, August 9-10, 22 birds; Tharaka district. August 

 11-13, 70; Tana River, August 14-23, 71 birds; Thika River, August 

 23-27, 95 birds seen; west of Ithanga Hills, August 28, 10 noted; 

 Athi River, August 29 to September 2, 28 seen; Nairobi, September 

 3-4, 2 birds noted. 



Order PSITTACIFORMES 

 Family PSITTACIDAE 



POICEPHALUS GULIELMI MASSAICUS Fischer and Rcichenow 



Poeocephalus tnassaicus Fische:r and Rbuchenow, Journ. f. Ornith., 1884, p. 

 179: Meru Mountain, near Kilimanjaro, Tanganyika Territory. 



/Specimens collected: 



Female, Escarpment, 7,390 feet (2,200 meters), Kenya Colony, 

 September 8, 1912. 



The material of this parrot available for study is unfortunately 

 inadequate for revisionary work. It consists of 28 specimens of 

 massaicus and two of aubryanus. The latter form (Cameroon birds 

 seen) has a distinctly longer culmen than massaicus^ the latter vary- 

 ing from 27 to 31 millimeters, while aiibryanus measures from 31.5 

 to 34 millimeters (culmen measured from the cere). In other di- 

 mensions the two forms are alike as may be seen from the wing 

 lengths — aubryanus^ 200-207 millimeters ; massaicus^ 196-206.5 milli- 

 meters. As far as the limited material goes, it substantiates Neu- 

 mann's conclusions.^ Sclater has followed Neumann in his list ^° 



»Nov. Zool., vol. 15, 1908, pp. 381-382. 

 " Syst. Avium Etliiop., 1924, p. 199. 



