204 BULLETIN 15 3, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



CISTICOLA ROBUSTA ROBUSTA (Ruppell) 



Drymoica robusta Ruppell, Systematische Uebersicht der Vogel Nordost-Afrika's, 



p. 35, 1845: Shoa. 

 Specimens collected: 1 male, 2 females, Adis Abeba, Ethiopia, January 9-10, 



1912. 



These specimens are in fresh winter plumage, having the top of 

 the head with much black and the nape almost pure rufous. 



The male has a wing length of 76 mm, tail 59 mm ; the females — 

 wing, 64, 65 ; tail, 52, 53 mm. One of the females shows signs of molt 

 in the tail. 



The stout grass warbler (nominate form) occurs in Ethiopia from 

 Simien, Gojam, and Amhara Provinces south to Shoa, but not to the 

 drainage basin of the Omo River, where it is replaced by another, 

 darker, more richly colored race, omo. In the highlands of central 

 Kenya Colony, a smaller race, amhiguu, is found. 



According to Lynes,^^ this bird is resident and common, although 

 somewhat local, throughout its range. Erlanger ^^ found nests with 

 eggs in April and May at Irna and Cunni. 



CISTICOLA NATALENSIS INEXPECTATA Neumann 



Cisticola natalensis inexpectata Neumann, Journ. fiir Orn., 1906, p. 268: Lake 



Abassi, South Ethiopia. 

 Specimens collected: 



1 male, Lake Abaya, Ethiopia, March 21, 1912. 



2 males, Turturo, Ethiopia, June 16, 1912. 



4 males, 1 female, Anole, Ethiopia, June 17, 1912. 



Soft parts: Male — iris brownish yellow; bill and inside of mouth 

 entirely black ; feet pale brown, claws darker brown ; of another male 

 (from Lake Abaya) Mearns noted iris light grayish brown, bill 

 brownish black above, grayish flesh-color below ; feet and claws pale 

 brown. Female — iris brownish yellow; bill blackish above, flesh- 

 color on sides and below ; inside of mouth yellow ; feet and claws flesh- 

 color. 



The male from Lake Abaya is the type of Cisticola rohusta abaya 

 Mearns. It is in winter plumage, commencing to molt into/ summer 

 dress. All the other specimens are in smnmer plumage and are more 

 grayish, less tawny-buffy above than the Lake Abaya bird. The fe- 

 male from Anole is beginning to molt into winter plumage on the 

 upper back ; the others are in worn plumage. 



There are three races of the striped grass warbler in the general 

 region covered by the present report. One of these, argentea, is con- 

 fined to southern Somaliland and is but little known. The other 

 two, inexpectata and kapitensis, were both collected by the Childs 



^3 Ibis, 1930, Suppl., p. 420. 

 " Journ. fUr Orn., 1905, p. 720. 



