BIRDS OF ETHIOPIA AND KENYA COLONY 387 



Reichenow *' gives the size of this bird as wing 130-142 (153 in 

 mcdor), tail 95-100, culmen 48-54 millimeters. Eleven adult males 

 from Kenya Colony and Tanganyika Territory measure as follows: 

 Wing 12(5-149 (average 139); tail 85-100 (95.5); culmen 4T-57 

 (53.1) millimeters. 



Young birds are duskier, more grayish, than adults, and have the 

 abdomen white broadly streaked with dark earth brown. As far as 

 I can see there is no difference in color between the sexes in ju venal 

 birds, but Van Someren ** writes that young males average darker 

 than females of corresponding age. 



In Kenya Colony the birds are mostly in fresh plumage by the 

 middle of August, some as early as late July. The wing molt begins 

 at the carpal joint and proceeds in both directions from that point. 



The breeding season in Kenya Colony seems to be in August and 

 September, as Van Someren ^* found a pair with young in first plum- 

 age at Nairobi in October. It would therefore appear that the birds 

 breed in fresh plumage, which, because of their habit of nesting in 

 holes, becomes quickly abraded. It would be interesting to know 

 if the postnuptial molt is complete, or if the birds retain the worn 

 remiges and rectrices throughout most of the year. The material 

 examined gives no suggestion of a postnuptial molt, but definite 

 data on this point are lacking. The chances are that the postnuptial 

 molt is a slow, prolonged process, but is probably complete. 



Mearns observed this hoopoe at the following localities : Yebo, 

 June 20, 4 birds seen ; plains at base and south of Endoto Mountains, 

 July 21-24, 1 noted; Lekiundu River, August 4-8, 4 seen; Tana 

 River, August 17, 1 bird; Athi River, August 29, 3 seen. 



Family PHOENICULIDAE 



PHOENICULUS PURPUREUS MARWITZI (Rcichenow) 



Irrisor erythrorliynchus maricltzi Reiciienow, Orn. Mouatsb., vol. 16, p. 171, 

 1906: Makalama, Kondoa Irangi district, Tanganyika Territory. 



/Specimens collected: 



One immature male, one immature female, one adult female, 

 Northern Guaso Nyiro River, Kenya Colony, August 2-3, 1912. 



The material available for study is not sufficient either in number 

 of specimens or in the data accompanying them to attempt a sys- 

 tematic revision of the races of this kakelaar, and I therefore follow 

 Sclater's arrangement ®® which appears to be correct as far as my 

 material goes. In the region covered by the present collection two 

 forms are known to occur and their ranges are as follows: 



8* Nov. Zool., vol. 29, 1922, p. 81. 

 *" Vog. Afr., vol. 2, p. 330. 

 **■' Ibis, 1916, p. 249. 



94312—30 26 



