406 BULLETIN 15 3, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Mearns saw about 1,000 of these weavers at Gato Kiver, March 29- 

 May 17; at Gato Eiver crossing, May 17, 200 birds were noted; 

 Anole, May 18, 100 seen; Sagon River, May 19, 10 noted; Tertale, 

 June 7-12, 50 birds; El Ade, June 12, 4 birds observed. 



PLOCEUS CUCULLATUS ABYSSINICUS (Gmelin) 



Loxia ahyssinica Gmelin, Syst. Nat., vol. 1, pt. 2, p. 860, 1789: Abyssinia. 



Specimens collected : 



1 male, Dire Daoua, Ethiopia, July 2, 1911 (Ouollard coll.). 



2 males, Ourso, Ethiopia, October 9^28, 1911 (Ouellard coll.). 



1 male, Dire Daoua, Ethiopia, November 14, 1911 (Ouellard coll.) 



2 males, 1 female. Sadi Malka, Ethiopia, January 28-29, 1912. 



1 male, Gidabo River, Ethiopia, March 18, 1912. 



2 males, cast Black Lake Abaya, Ethiopia, March 21, 1912. 



4 males, southeast Lake Abaya, Ethiopia, March 22-23, 1912. 



3 males. Black Lake Ajbaya, Ethiopia, March 24, 1912. 



2 males, near Gardula, Ethiopia, March 28, 1912. 



3 males, 9 females, Gato River near Gardula, Ethiopia, April 2-May 2, 1912. 



Soft parts : Male — iris pinkish orange, bill all black, feet and claws 

 pale brown. Female — iris pale red in one specimen, yellowish brown 

 in another. 



In the present study I have examined a good series of all the races 

 of this weaver except frohenii^ and my conclusions agree very well 

 with those set forth by Sclater.^* 



The present race occurs from the Simien Mountains and Tigre 

 south through central and southern Ethiopia to the Rendile country 

 and merges with feminina near Mount Elgon. Van Someren^^ 

 records abyssinicus from as far south as Mount Elgon, Mumias, 

 Kisumu, and Kendu Bay. Granvik " considers a specimen from 

 Kendu Bay as feminina. North Kavirondan birds are probably in- 

 termediate but, on the whole, nearer to feminina than to abyssinicus. 

 P. G. abyssinicus ranges west to Sennar. 



The males collected in January are in winter plumage; those 

 collected from March to November are all in breeding dress. The 

 birds show very considerable variation in size, as may be seen from 

 the following data : The wing length varies from 84 to 95 mm in the 

 males (average, 91.8), from 79 to 87.5 mm in the females (average, 

 83.2) ; tail, 50.5-59 mm in the males (average, 55.2), 44-50.5 mm in 

 the females (average, 48.3) ; culmen, 19.5-22.5 mm in the males 

 (average, 20.2), 19-20.5 mm in the females (average, 19.6); tarsus, 

 19-26 mm in the males (average, 24.1), 21-23.5 mm in the females 

 (average, 22.2). 



" Systema avium yEthiopicarnm, pt, 2, p. 742, 1930. 



"Nov. ZooL, vol. 29, p. 141, 1922. 



i« Journ. fur Orn., 1923, Sonderheft, p. 160. 



