202 BULLETIN 15 3, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



are in a molting condition and are molting into a new plumage 

 similar to the old one. 



This bird occurs from the Kenyan-Ethiopian boundary in Shoa 

 and Arussi-Gallaland north across the Hawash Basin to the edge of 

 the high Ethiopian Plateau. It does not inliabit the low plains of 

 Abyssinian Somaliland or of Jubaland. It gets up to about 5,600 

 feet, but not higher. Lynes writes that there are two breeding sea- 

 sons in southwestern Ethiopia — the main one from May to Septem- 

 ber, and a shorter one during January and February — ^but in the 

 Hawash Valley there is only one breeding season — from May to 

 September. 



CISTICOLA HUNTERI PRINIOIDES Neumann 



C'isticola prinioides Nehjmann, Journ. fiir Orn., 1900, p. 304 : Mau, Kenya Colony. 

 Specimens collected : 17 males, 15 females, Escarpment, Kenya Colony, Septem- 

 ber 4-10, 1912. 



Lynes ^° has summed up the geographical variations of this species 

 so well that there is nothing new to add. The present large series 

 from Escarpment substantiates his action in synonymizing wamhu- 

 guensis and kilimensis with prinioides. I have seen the types of 

 both of these names. 



This race occurs in the highlands of Kenya Colony, including 

 Mount Kenya but not Mount Elgon, the lower parts of Mount Kili- 

 manjaro (below the forest belt), and all of Mount Meru. On the 

 summit of Mount Kenya the birds become more uniformly colored 

 above, approaching the Elgon race masaha. Curiously enough, on 

 the higher reaches of Mount Kilimanjaro a darker, more heavily- 

 streaked-backed form, typical hunteri^ is found. 



Tlie measurements of the present series agree with the figures given 

 by Lynes. Most of the specimens are in fairly fresh plumage; a 

 few are considerably worn; none show molting activity. 



The breeding season appears to be chiefly during the rains. 



This bird appears to be very numerous where it occurs; the mere 

 fact that Mearns was able to collect 32 specimens in a few days of 

 general collecting indicates the abundance of the species. 



CISTICOLA GALACTOTES LUGUBRIS (Ruppell) 



Sylvia (Cisticola) lugubris Ruppell, Neue Wirbelthiere. zu tier Fauna Abys- 

 sinien gehorig, etc., Vogel, p. Ill, 1840: Gondar, Ethiopia. 



Specimens collected: 



1 male, Adis Abeba, Ethiopia, December 30, 1911. 



3 males, Arussi Plateau, 9,000 feet, Ethiopia, February 24-28, 1912. 



In the regions traversed by the Childs Frick expedition, three races 

 of the rufous grass warbler occur, as follows : 



"Ibis, 1930, Suppl., pp. 337-338. 



