BIRDS OF ETHIOPIA AND KENYA COLONY 423 



eastern Kenya Colony an allied species, E. ruflgula van Someren, 

 appears to link frandscana with a third species nigroventris Cassin. 



The majority of the adults are in breeding plumage; some are sub- 

 adult, but are also in nuptial dress. Their size variations are as fol- 

 lows: Males— wing, 60-67 (average, 63.2) ; tail, 32-40 (35.2) ; culmen, 

 12-13 (13.5); tarsus, 17-20 (18.9 mm). Females— wing, 56-59 

 (57.7) ; tail, 28.5-35.5 (31.5) ; culmen, 11.5-12.5 (11.9) ; tarsus, 16.5- 

 17.5 (17.2 mm). 



This bishop bird is found in the lower parts of southern Ethiopia. 

 Heuglin found it up to 7,000 feet, and Mearns met with it at 4,000 

 to 5,000 feet. 



The birds are said to be in their winter plumage from December 

 to February and to begin the prenuptial molt early in March. 

 Shelley ^^ writes that "before and after the breeding season these 

 Bishop-birds assemble to feed in flocks * * * but I much doubt 

 their being migratory, as Heuglin suggests." In the Sudan the birds 

 (typical frandscana) are in breeding dress from August to Janu- 

 ary, so not only are the two races geographically distinct, but also 

 their life cycles are physiologically isolated seasonally. 



Mearns found 4 nests with eggs (4 eggs in 1 nest, 3 in 1, and 2 

 in the other 2 nests), all at Gato River, on May 11. The eggs are 

 uniform light glaucous blue, and vary in size from 16.5 by 13 to 

 17.5 by 13.2 mm. Mearns estimated the number of these bishop birds 

 seen at the Gato River, March 29-May 17, to be more than 1,000 

 During his stay at the Abaya Lakes, March 18-26, he saw about 250. 

 He did not record the bird south of Gato River. 



EUPLECTES CAPENSIS XANTHOMELAS Riippell 



Figures 27, 28 



Euplectcs xanthomelas Ruppeill, Neue Wirbelthiere zu der Fauna von Abyssinien 

 gehorig, etc., Vogel, p. 94, 1840 : Teniben and Simien, Abyssinia. 



Specimens collected: 



6 males, 2 females, Adis Abeba, Ethiopia, January 2^-10, 1912. 

 1 male, Arussi Plateau, Ethiopia, February 17, 1912. 



Sclater ^° considers that xanthomelas ranges from Ethiopia, south 

 through Kenya Colony to Tanganyika Territory, Nyasaland, the 

 northeastern Transvaal, and to Angola, and that kilimensis, litoris, 

 and angolensis (all of Neunzig) are synonyms of xanthomelas. I 

 have examined a good series of birds from the ranges of Neunzig's 

 three forms, and from Ethiopia as well, and find that kilimensis and 

 angolensis are valid, and that one of them, kilimensis, has a wider 

 range than he supposed. I have not seen enough material from 



«» The birds of Africa, vol. 4, pp. 92-93, 1905. 



""> Systema avium .iEthiopicarum, pt. 2, p. 762, 1930. 



