BIRDS OF ETHIOPIA AND KENYA COLONY 397 



The breeding season in Kenya Colony (Elgeyu district) is in July, 

 and (Loita Plains area) in January. The northern form, ahyssinicus, 

 is said to nest during the summer rains in Eritrea. 



Besides the two specimens collected, Mearns noted this species as 

 follows : Endoto Mountains, July 19-24, 20 birds seen ; river 24 miles 

 south of Malele, July 29, 2 noted ; Northern Guaso Nyiro Kiver, July 

 31-August 3, 20 seen ; Tharaka district, August 13, 50 birds observed. 



PLOCEUS REICHENOWI REICHENOWI (Fischer) 



SpcoirotMs reiohcnoici Fischer, Journ. fiir Orn., 1884, p. 180: Great Arusha, 



Tanganyika Territory. 

 Specimens collected : 1 male, Escarpment, Kenya Colony, September 7, 1912. 



Reichenow's weaver occurs in Kenya Colony from Mount Elgon 

 and Mount Kenya to Mount Kilimanjaro and the Usambara Range in 

 northeastern Tanganyika Territory. It breaks up into two races ; the 

 typical one occurs from Tanganyika Territory to the eastern escarp- 

 ment of the Rift Valley, and a form with no lateral projection of 

 j^ellow behind the eyes in the males, nigritemporalis Granvik, replaces 

 it on Mount Elgon. 



This bird is common throughout its range. Unlike many species 

 of Ploceus, the present form goes about in pairs, not in flocks, and 

 does not nest in colonies. Van Someren ^'^ writes that they "do not 

 nest in colonies, but in single pairs — two pairs at the very most might 

 occupy one tree. It is a fact that there are usually many nests on the 

 one tree, but only one will be occupied. The other nests are either 

 old ones or spurious nests built by the male to while away the time 

 while his mate is sitting." He found the birds breeding from March 

 to July, and from November to January. Young were taken in 

 May, June, and November. 



PLOCEUS FRICKI (Mearns) 



Plate 1 



Othi/phantes fricki Meaens, Smithsonian Misc. Coll., vol. 61, no. 14, p. 1, 1913: 



Aletta, southern Abyssinia. 

 Specimens collected: 



1 adult male, Malke, Sidamo, Ethiopia, March 3, 1912. 



2 adult males, 2 adult females, 2 juvenal females, Aletta, Sidamo, Ethiopia, 

 March 9-11, 1912. 



1 adult male, Loku, Sidamo, Ethiopia, March 13, 1912. 



1 adult female, Gidabo River, Sidamo, Ethiopia, March 15, 1912. 



Soft parts : Iris yellow ; bill black ; feet and claws pale brown. 



s* Ibis, 1916, p. 404. 



