BIRDS OF ETHIOPIA AND KENYA COLONY 433 



ence in east Africa of a closely related but very distinct species 

 which might, by competition, keep out the northern dbyssinicus is 

 not to be considered an important factor. Van Someren "' writes 

 that the ranges of the two do not actually meet. In fact, there seem 

 to be two records of ahyssinicus in Kenya Colony, Jackson's specimen 

 taken on the Turkwell River, and one from 70 miles northwest of 

 Lake Baringo reported by Grant,'^^ collected by the Cozens-Lowe 

 expedition. However, specimens have been taken on a few occa- 

 sions in low-lying country, such as Blanford's record for Komayli, 

 and Jesse's for Ain, but these are exceptional cases. 



Throughout its entire range it is nowhere abundant, being found 

 in pairs or family groups, never in flocks. The birds are more or 

 less sedentary and therefore as widely spaced throughout the country 

 as their territorial requirements demand. 



According to Von Heuglin, the mating season is in early autumn, 

 the birds being then found in pairs and both partaking in a booming 

 vocal performance. However, Zedlitz observes that the birds remain 

 in pairs throughout the year and that the young of one season remain 

 with their parents until the next breeding season. He writes that 

 the vocal performance mentioned above was heard by him in mid- 

 April and that the breeding season probably comes in the summer in 

 Ethiopia. Young birds seen in February and March were not fully 

 grown, but as it takes over a year to attain full development this is 

 not necessarily significant. Lynes found the booming courtship 

 to occur in early June in Darfur. He writes that the birds were 

 then, " * * * courting * * * ^^^ must have bred in July and 

 August, for the Kulme villagers had a recently fledged young bird 

 on September 20, said to have been taken from a hollow tree 

 near by." 



All three specimens collected were molting the wings and tail. 

 Incidentally the order in which the remiges and rectrices are re- 

 placed is unusual, and, in the small series available for study, 

 irregular. The male taken on February 9 has new, partly grown 

 outer secondaries while the primary molt is as follows: The outer- 

 most primary is of the old plumage, the next three are new and not 

 full grown, the next four are old, the next two, innermost ones, 

 are new. In other words the remigial molt has two more or less 

 simultaneous centers of origin, the carpal, or wrist joint (outermost 

 secondary and innermost primary) and the seventh primary. The 

 male from Serre, February 13, has, however, replaced only the third 

 primary, while the female taken at the same place and date, not only 

 disagrees with the two males, but the molt differs in its two wings. 



^ Nov. Zool., vol. 29, 1922, p. 74. 

 «sibis, 1915, p. 270. 



