454 BULLETIN 15 3, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



This specimen is in poor condition for stu(l3\ being badly damaged 

 by shot, and is in molt, and also somewhat stained. As far as can 

 be ascertained it is affims^ not uropygialis^ although the color of the 

 breast is somewhat darker than usual for the former race. 



A series of 10 birds shows considerable variation in color. A few 

 have some of the light occipital streaks yellowish instead of white, 

 and two fi'om the southern limit of the range (Dar es Salaam) are 

 much lighter below and slightly smaller than any of the others. 



This race and uropygiaUs differ so slightly in many cases that 

 it is difficult to demarcate their respective ranges very definitely, 

 or to identify single specimens from the northern part of the range 

 of affinh or the southern portion of that of uropygialis. 



The type locality of this form is Kipini, not Xipini as given by 

 Sclater.^i 



POGONIULUS CHRYSOCONUS XANTHOSTICTUS (Blundell and Lovat) 



Barhatula xunthosticta Klxtndell and Lovat, Bull. Brit. Orn. CI., vol. 10, 

 p. 21, 1899 : Chellia, Ethiopia. 



JSpeehnens collected: 



One male, Arussi Plateau, 9,000 feet (2,700 meters), Ethiopia, 

 February 20, 1912. 



One male, near Loco, Sidamo, Ethiopia. March G, 1912. 



In the absence of sufficient material to attempt a revision of the 

 races of this tinker bird, I follow Bclater *- and refer the present 

 two specimens to xanthostlctus. Their measurements are as follows : 

 Wing 59-62.5, tail 32.5-34.0, culmen 12.0-12.5, and tarsus 14-16 

 millimeters (the first measurement in each case refers to the Loco 

 specimen). 



This race inhabits the highlands of central and southern Ethiopia 

 southwest to the Shoan lake district. The Arussi bird was found 

 in the juniper forest. Besides the two specimens collected, the 

 species was recorded as follows: Aletta, March 7-13, 20 seen; Loco, 

 March 13-15, 20 seen; Gidabo River, March 15-17, 20 seen; Black 

 Lake Abaya, March 18, 20 seen; Galena River, March 19-20, 40 

 seen; Lake Abaya, southeast, March 21-27, 10 seen; White (or 

 South) Lake Abaya, March 24-26, 25 seen; Spring, south of Lake 

 Abaya near Gardula, March 26-29, 10 seen; Gato River near Gardula, 

 March 29 to May 17, 50 seen ; Anole Village, May 18. 2 seen. 



Erlanger" writes that the breeding season is in Deceml)er and 

 January, but it should be noted that he did not find any nests, eggs, 

 or young, but judged solely by the condition of the two males and 



" Syst. Avium Ethiop., 1924, p. 280. 



<=Idpm, 1024. [1. 281. 



"Journ. f. Ornith., 1905. p. 495. 



