BIRDS OF ETHIOPIA AND KENYA COLONY 69 



There is still much to be learned of the ranges of the races of this 

 bird. The accomj^anying map (fig. 6) shows them as far as I have 

 been able to make them out on the basis of material examined and of 

 published records. The large gaps on the map, such as those in 

 northern Kenya Colony and in southeastern Gallaland, are probably 

 inhabited by intergrades, but definite data are needed to determine 

 this. 



The most noteworthy result of my study of this species is that I 

 find no good w^ay of distinguishing reichenowi from rolleti. Thus, 

 the latter is supposed to occur in the lower valleys of extreme south- 

 ern Shoa, whence Mearns obtained a series at Gardula, Bodessa, and 

 Turturo. However, all 12 of the specimens from those localities 

 agree very closely with a series of reichenowi from southern Somali- 

 land, Lamu, Taveta, and Changamwe. Erlanger^^ records roUetl 

 (since separated as reichenowi) from Kismayu, the Bardera-Umfudu, 

 and Daua regions in Somaliland, while the birds he obtained in 

 Arussi and Ennia Gallaland and in Djamdjam he refers to meneliki 

 {^ pei'^rnistus or inonacha). 



The birds from Gardula, Bodessa, and Turturo are probably the 

 same form as those identified as rolleti by Neumann.^^ I have con- 

 sidered his suggestion that rolleti occurs in the lowlands of south- 

 western Ethiopia, w^hile permistus is found higher up in the moun- 

 tains near by. I have seen more material of reichenowi than of 

 rolleti but can not decide between them as to which form the southern 

 Shoan birds should be referred, and this has led to a general con- 

 sideration of the characters of the two. Unfortunately, no one has 

 made any direct, detailed comparisons of the two; their geographic 

 positions seemed to render that unnecessary. According to Meinertz- 

 hagen,'^' 7'eichenowi is based "on smaller size and a further extension 

 of the black on to the back than is usual in rolleti.'''' Zedlitz gives 

 wings as 125-132 mm. Meinertzhagen gives the wing length of 

 rolleti as varying from 124 to 144 mm. Stoneham,^^ however, writes 

 that rolleti (from southern Ethiopia, the Sudan, and the Northern 

 Chua Province of Uganda) has wing measurements of from 112 to 

 135 mm (average, 126 mm). In other words, the extreme measure- 

 ments for rolleti are 112 to 144 mm. All the specimens I have seen 

 of reichenoioi have wings of from 121 to 132 mm in length. I have 

 seen no birds less than 121 imn, although van Someren ^^ writes that 

 reichenowi measures from 115 to 125 mm in this regard, thereby 

 making tlie extremes for this race 115 to 132 mm, completely within 

 the range of variation of rolleti. 



» Journ. fiir Orn., 1907, pp. 1-2. 

 '^ Journ. fiir Orn., lOO.o, p. 23-4. 

 s' Ibis, 1923, pp. 76-78. 



68 Bull. Brit. Orn. Club, vol. 45, pp. 78-79, 1925. 

 "» Nov. Zool., vol. 29, p. 127, 1922. 

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