BIRDS OF ETHIOPIA AND KENYA COLONY 365 



which was sprinkled among the birds in the box in which they were 

 j3acked." In the case of the Turturo bird, the other metallic colors 

 are not different from those in Kenyan specimens. 



The Turturo birds are in worn plumage; the Kenya birds are in 

 molt or in very fresh plumage. This difference in abrasion may also 

 account for the lighter, more orange color of the breast of the 

 Ethiopian male. 



Nothing seems to have been recorded of the breeding habits or 

 season of this species. 



Mearns noted this species as follows : 10-25 miles southeast of Lake 

 Rudolf, July 12, 10 birds seen; Indunumara Mountain, July 13-18, 

 16 seen; Endoto Mountains, July 18-24, 40; Er-re-re, July 25, 6 

 birds; Le-se-dun, July 26, 4 seen; Malele, July 27, 2 noted; 18-24 

 miles south of Malele, July 28-29, 30 birds; Northern Guaso Nyiro 

 River, July 31-August 3, 4 seen; Lekiundu River, August 4^8, 20 

 noted; Guaso Mara River, August 9, 2 seen; Meru forest, August 10, 

 4 birds; 20 miles east of Meru, August 11, 10 birds seen; Tharaka 

 district, August 12, 10 seen; Tana River, August 14-16, 40 birds 

 observed. 



CHALCOMITRA CRUENTATA (Ruppell) 



Nectarinia cruentata Ruppell, Systematische Uebersicht der Vogel Nordost- 



Afrika's, p. 26, pi. 1, 1845 : Simien Province, Abyssinia. 

 Specimens collected: 



1 adult male, Ourso, Ethiopia, September 6, 1911. 



1 adult male, 1 immature male, Gidabo River, Ethiopia, March 16-17, 1912. 



1 adult male, Bodessa, Ethiopia, May 27, 1912. 



1 adult male, Konso, Ethiopia, May 7, 1912. 



I have seen no topotypical material of cruentata and therefore, 

 can not decide on the validity of scioana Salvadori. Neumann "" 

 recognizes scioana and states that it differs from cmentata in being 

 larger (wings — male, 72-74 mm, as against 69 mm in the latter) and 

 that the crossbars in the red breast patch are steel blue or violet -blue 

 in scioana and greenish blue in cruentata. Other investigators, how- 

 ever, such as Shelley,^^ Ogilvie-Grant,''^ and Gyldenstolpe ®^ have all 

 decided against the validity of scioanec^ and Sclater ^* does not 

 recognize it. I follow Sclater in this matter as in all cases where 

 I have not been able to decide for myself from actual specimens. 

 Two typical omentata males from Amhara (in Field Museum) hav6 

 no green on the black throat mark. 



The Ourso bird, obtained from M. Ouellard, is in worn plumage; 

 all the others are in fresh feathering. The birds are large and 



"ojourn. fiir Orn., 1906, p. 252. 



" The bird.s of Africa, vol. 2, pp. 100-102, 1900. 



"^Ibis, 1900, p. 144. 



•"Kongl. Svenska Vet.-Akad. Handl., 1924, p. 99. 



°* Systema avium .iEtliiopicarum, pt. 2, p. 702. 1930. 



