BIRDS OF ETHIOPIA AND KENYA COLONY 



81 



had fallen, G. a-ffinis { = rhipidunis) abounded. In the former in- 

 stance he first met with this species at about 3,000 feet near Mayen. 

 In May it had retreated once more to its former range, and the white- 

 breasted crow alone was to be seen in the tropical region. In ascend- 

 ing to the Bogos country it first appeared on the Lebka at about 

 12,000 feet above the sea, at Ain. 



Mearns did not find this raven in the coastlands at Djibouti in 

 November, "but a few stations up on the railway they appeared 

 around the native villages in company with . . . vultures, and have 

 been common everywhere. Here at Adis Abeba they are fairly 

 numerous." Mearns made no note of this bird in the Arussi high- 

 lands, but in the lake country of southern Shoa he observed it fre- 

 quently in large numbers. Thus, of a male collected at Gidabo 

 River, on March 16, he writes, "this is the first one seen since we 

 passed Sirre." 



The present series indicates that the range of individual variation 

 is very great in this as in so many of the crows. The measurements 

 given in table 13 show this very well. 



Table 13. — Measurements of 19 specimens of Rhiiiocorax rhipidurus 



The condition of the plumage of these birds, collected over a period 

 of eight months, shows the following facts: Molting birds were 

 taken in December and July; the birds collected from January to 

 May (and to July) were in fresh plumage; birds in worn feather 

 were taken in December. 



