316 BULLETIN 15 3, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



typical race occurs in East Africa south to Zululand and the eastern 

 Transvaal, while the western part of the range (Angola, Namaqua- 

 land, Damaraland, Bechuanaland, and the western Transvaal) is 

 inhabited by talacoma (if that form be valid). Roberts*^ writes 

 that talacoma is distinct. Grote ^^ considers a specimen from Obab, 

 northern Southwest African Protectorate, as typical poUoce'phalus. 



In Cameroon two closely related forms, martensi and adamauae, 

 occur. These two seem to be only subspecifically distinct from polio - 

 cephalus; in fact, adarnauae was described as a race of the present 

 species. These two forms I have not seen, and, at any rate, they need 

 not concern us here. 



The unsexed bird listed above is a subadult specimen and has the 

 bluish-gray area restricted to the occiput, the crown being white like 

 the forehead. It is in very worn plumage and shows but little white 

 on the upper aspect of the wings. 



The adult male has the following dimensions: Wing, 107; tail, 87.5 ; 

 culmen, 16; tarsus, 22 mm. The adult female: Wing, 105; tail, 81; 

 culmen, 19 ; tarsus, 22.5 mm. 



This species occurs rather sparingly and somewhat sporadically in 

 the southern part of Kenya Colony, being absent from large tracts of 

 apparently suitable country. It was not represented in van Someren's 

 almost complete collection of south Kenyan and Ugandan birds,*^ and 

 it has been either missed or overlooked by most collectors. Van Som- 

 eren ** did record this species from Gondokoro, but the specimen in 

 question was probably wrongly identified and was most likely P. con- 

 chinatus^ the form he later *^ recorded from that area. 



I have found no published data on the breeding season of this bird 

 in Kenya Colony, but Bohm found a nest with two eggs on March 18 

 at Kakoma, Tanganyika Territory.*® and Schuster observed newly 

 fledged young on July 22 in the Unyamwesi district.*^ Doggett pro- 

 cured a female with a brood of young at Mulema, Uganda, during his 

 stay at that place from March to May. 



Besides the actual specimens collected, Mearns noted this helmet- 

 shrike as follows : Tana River, August 15-16, 20 birds ; Thika River, 

 August 23-28, 30 seen. 



Since the above was written van Someren *^^ has reported this hel- 

 met-shrike from the Machakos area ; Loita ; Nairobi ; and the Tsavo- 

 Masona^oleni district. 



" Ann. Transvaal Mus., vol. 10, p. 86, 1924. 



*- .Tourn. fur Orn., 1922, p. 44. 



" Reported on in Nov. Zool., vol. 29, pp. 1-246, 1922. 



« Ibis, 1916, p. 387. 



*'=■ Nov. Zool., vol. 29, p. 108, 1922. 



•"^ Vide Reichenow, Die Vogel Afrikas, vol. 2, p. 529, 1903. 



"Journ. fiir Orn., 1926, p. 714. 



"^ Nov. Zool., vol. 37, p. 302, 1932. 



