476 BULLETIN 15 3, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



1 adult male, Endoto Mountains, Kenya Colony, July 20, 1912. 



2 adult males, Malele, Kenya Colony, July 27, 1912. 



1 adult female, 24 miles south of Malele, Kenya Colony, July 29, 1912. 



The Somali golden-breasted bunting occurs in British and Italian 

 Somaliland, the Gallaland, Shoa, Sidamo, and Boran districts of 

 Ethiopia, northern Uganda, northern and eastern Kenya Colony, 

 south to the Kilimanjaro district. It is preeminently a bird of rather 

 dry country and does not occur in the highlands. In Ethiopia it 

 has been taken in the Hawash Valley, between Harrar and Adis 

 Abeba, in Arussi-Gallaland, Ennia-Gallaland, Gurraland, Shoa, and 

 Boran; in Kenya Colony it is found in the Teita and Taru districts, 

 thence north through Ukambani to north of Mount Kenya, Lake 

 Baringo, and to the Kendile and Turkana districts. It likewise 

 occurs in Jubaland and throughout Somaliland. 



The present series indicate great variation in molting time, as 

 birds in fresh and worn plumages are distributed throughout the 

 same months. Specimens actually in molt were taken in June and 

 July, but a freshly feathered example was collected on February 5 

 as well. 



The 3^oung birds have the breast yellowish streaked with brown 

 and, like adult females, have the areas on the sides and top of the 

 head that are black in adult males brown. 



The size variations of the adults are as follows: Males — wing, 

 68-76.5 (average, 72) ; tail 59.5-71.5 (64.7) ; culmen, 11-13 (11.7) ; 

 tarsus, 15-18 (17.3 mm). Females— wings, 69, 74.5; tail, 61.5, 64.5; 

 culmen, 11, 12; tarsus, 16, 18 mm. 



Erlanger*^ records the breeding season in northern and also in 

 southern Somaliland as lasting from April to July. He found a 

 large number of nests, chiefly in April and May. 



Van Someren has recently *^ obtained nestlings in January at Voi 

 and in May and June at Marsabit. 



Mearns noted this bunting in northern Kenya Colony in many 

 places other than those in which he actually collected specimens. 

 The entries in his notebooks are as follows: 10 to 25 miles south- 

 east of Lake Rudolf, July 12, 10 birds seen; Nyero Mountains, 

 July 13, 100; Indunumara Mountains, July 14-18, 200; plains around 

 the Endoto Mountains, July 18-24, 35 birds seen ; Er-re-re, July 25, 

 30 noted; Le-se-dun, July 26, 30 birds; Malele, July 27, 40; 18 

 miles south of Malele, July 28-29, 50; 25 miles north of Northern 

 Guaso Nyiro River, July 30, 25 birds ; Northern Guaso Nyiro River, 

 July 31-August 3, 25 seen; Lekiundu River, August 4^-8, 10 birds 

 noted. 



".Journ. fiir Orn., 1907, pp. 33-34. 

 «Nov. Zool., vol. 37, p. 331, 1932. 



