BIRDS OF ETHIOPIA AND KENYA COLONY 159 



The Gidabo River specimen is much blacker on the upper back 

 than either of the other two; the Serre example is the palest of the 

 three. 



This race of the redstart is known only from southern Arabia 

 and from Ethiopia and northern Somaliland with certainty in its 

 African winter range. It follows, by inference, that it does not 

 migrate down the valley of the Nile, but over the Red Sea. 



ERITHACUS RUBECULA RUBECULA (Linnaeus) 



Motarilla ruhccula Linnaeus, Syst. Nat, ed. 10, p. 188, 1758 : Europe ; restricted 



type locality Sweden. 

 Specimens collected : 1 female, Mediterranean between Palermo and Almaria, 



October 11, 1912. 



This specimen flew on board the steamer as Mearns was returning 

 from Africa. Though it has nothing to do with the results of the field 

 work in Africa, it is included here to complete the record of the 

 specimens obtained. 



The bird is m fresh plumage. 



LUSCINIA MEGARHYNCHA AFRICANA (Fischer and Reichenow) 



Lusciola africana Fischer and Reichenow, Joiirn. fiir Orn., 1884, p. 182 : Klein 



Aruscha, near Mount Kilimanjaro. 

 Specimens collected: 1 male, Sadi Malka, Ethiopia, December 20, 1911. 



The Persian nightingale (described from a wintering bird taken in 

 Tanganyika Territory; hence the name africana) winters south to 

 northern Tanganyika Territory. Apparently this bird has never been 

 taken in Ethiopia before, and only a small number of wintering speci- 

 mens have been taken in all. Meinertzhagen ^* obtained one iji the 

 Teita Hills near Voi, Kenya Colon}^, in December. He says : "In addi- 

 tion to this specimen other winter birds are known from near Kili- 

 manjaro, southern Arabia, and N. Somaliland." According to Grote,^^ 

 Schillings found it as early as September in the Massai country. 



Apparently the migration route follows Arabia and the Red Sea 

 and not the Nile Valley. 



This form is paler than typical European L. m. megarhyncha. 



Family SYLVIIDAE, Old World Warblers 



SYLVIA CURRUCA CURRUCA (Linnaeus) 



Motacilla curruca Linnaeuts, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, p. 184, 1758: Europe; restricted 

 typo locality, Sweden. 



Specimens collected: 1 fpmnle, Dire Daoua, Ethiopia, December 20, 1911. 



The lesser whitethroat is a regular winter visitor in northeastern 

 Africa, especially those parts of the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan that \m 



"Ibis, 1922, p. 30. 



"Mltteil. ZooL Mus. Berlin, vol. 16, pt. 1, p. 47, 1930. 



