BIRDS OF ETHIOPIA AND KENYA COLONY 255 



Sclater^' does not include southern Ethiopia in the range of 

 tumeric but Meinertzhagen ^ writes that "birds from southern Abys- 

 sinia and the Sudan provinces of Mongalla and Bahr el Ghazal appear 

 to belong to this race." It is otherwise known to inhabit western 

 Kenya Colony, Uganda, the eastern Belgian Congo (Ituri district), 

 south to Nyasaland. In the south-central Katanga, it is replaced by 

 a much darker form, hohndorifi, which is a valid race. Sclater writes 

 that the latter is known only from the type and is probably identical 

 with tumeri, but in both matters he is mistaken. I have seen one 

 specimen of hohndorfi, taken by Neave near the Lufupa River, and it 

 is very different from tumeri, being darker above and especially so 

 below. 



ANTHUS GOULDII OMOENSIS Neumann 



Anthus leucophrys omoensis Neiumann, Journ. fiir Orn., 1906, p. 235: Ergino 



Valley, between Gofa and Doko, southwestern Ethiopia. 

 Specimens coiXEOTEa) : 1 male, 1 female, Loco, Ethiopia, March 14, 1912. 



I have not sufficient material to attempt a study of the races of this 

 pipit, and have identified these specimens as omoensis partly on geo- 

 graphic grounds. They may not be wholly typical of that form, how- 

 ever. Sclater ^ considers gouldii and its races conspecific with 

 leucophrys, but this appears to be a doubtful conclusion. In keeping 

 the two gi'oups separate, I follow Meinertzhagen's review,^ which 

 seems to be the most satisfactory one. 



Though it is true that a dark race of the leucophrys group, such as 

 zenkeri, closely approaches gouldii, yet the two groups are geographi- 

 cally coincident in parts of West Africa and must therefore be main- 

 tained as specific entities. Bannerman* has recorded both from 

 southern Nigeria. 



Both specimens are in worn plumage. Their dimensions are as 

 follows: Male — wing, 99; tail, 74; culmen, 18; tarsus, 26 mm. Fe- 

 male — wing, 93; tail, 66; culmen, 16.5; tarsus, 26 mm. 



Erlanger ^ found the closely allied race saphiroi nesting near Har- 

 rar from early in April until the middle of May, while in the Arussi- 

 Gallaland he found a nest with eggs on June 21. If we judge by 

 the extremely abraded condition of the plumage of the present birds, 

 it would appear that they were just about finished breeding (i. e., 

 were ready to begin the postnuptial molt), which, in turn, would 

 indicate that the breeding season in southern Ethiopia may start 

 earlier than Erlanger's observations suggest. 



** Systema avium ^thiopicarum, pt. 2, p. 344, 1930. 

 1 Ibis, 1921, p. 662. 



* Systema avium ^thiopicarum, pt. 2, p. 345, 1930. 

 »Ibi8, 1921, pp. 658-663. 



* Rev. Zool. Afrlcaine, vol. 9, pp. 323-325, 1921. 



* Journ. filr Orn., 1907, p. 38. 



