478 BULLETIN 15 3, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



territory and then, in the northeastern corner of its range, suddenly 

 differentiate into three valid races. 



The present series contains specimens in worn and in fairly fresh 

 plumage collected at the same time. The size variations of the adult 

 birds are as follows: Males — wing, T2-79 (average, 70.3); tail, 57- 

 63 (61.1) ; culmen, 9-10 (9.5) ; tarsus, 16-17 (16.3 mm). Females- 

 wing, 71-80 (73.6) ; tail, 54^62.5 (57.7) ; culmen, 9-10 (9.6) ; tarsus, 

 15.5-17 (16.4 mm). 



The cinnamon-breasted rock-bunting is a denizen of the lower 

 areas, especially the semiarid rocky and scrub country. Nothing 

 appears to have been recorded as to the breeding season in Ethiopia, 

 but the northern form septemstriata has been found in breeding con- 

 dition in June. 



On the Tana River, August 18-26, Mearns noted about 350 of these 

 finches. 



FRINGILLARIA STRIOLATA SATURATIOR Sharpe 



Fringillaria saturatior Sharpe, Bull. Brit. Orn. Club, vol. 11, p. 47, 1901 : Lake 



Stefanie. 

 Specimens collected : 



2 adult males, 6 immature males, 1 adult female, 1 immature unsexed, 



Chaffa, Ethiopia, June 24-25, 1912. 

 5 adult males, 4 immature males, 1 adult female, Dussia, Kenya Colony, 



July 3-4, 1912. 

 1 immature male, 1 immature unsexed, east of Lake Rudolf, Kenya Colony, 



July 5, 1912. 

 1 immature male, 1 adult female, southeast of Lake Rudolf, Kenya Colony, 



July 11-12, 1912. 



The Abyssinian house bunting is said by Sclater ^* to inhabit the 

 "highlands of the Red Sea Province, Eritrea, Abyssinia, Somaliland, 

 and Yemen." The present specimens extend the known range south- 

 ward to the southeastern end of Lake Rudolf and thereby add the 

 species to the avifauna of Kenya Colony. It is somewhat mislead- 

 ing to say that this bird lives only in the highlands, as none of the 

 present localities is very high above the sea, and neither is the type 

 locality one of great altitude. In the Red Sea Province it is a 

 highland form. 



This bird seems to be somewhat scarce in Ethiopia as it has been 

 overlooked or not met with by many collectors, such as Lovat, Pease, 

 Zaphiro, Neumann, and Erlanger. 



The present specimens are all in worn plumage and seem to have 

 finished breeding not more than a few weeks before they were col- 

 lected, late in June and early in July. The size variations of the 

 adults are as follows: Male.s — wins:, 71-74.5 (average, 72.8) ; tail, 51- 



^ Systema avium ^thiopicarum, pt. 2, p. 832, 1930. 



