430 BULLETIN 153, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



10-17, either are in a late stage of the postnuptial molt or are com- 

 pletely in fresh winter plumage. The size variations are as follows : 

 Male— wings, 73.5-80 (average, 76) ; tail, 75.5-90.5 (74.4) ; culmen, 

 13-15 (14.2); tarsus, 19-21 (19.9 mm). Females— wings, 63-66.5 

 (65.2) ; tail, 35-43.5 (40.5) ; culmen, 12.5-14 (13.2) ; tarsus, 17.5-19 

 (18.3 mm). 



This bird appears to be rather local in Ethiopia and absent in large 

 areas in extreme northern Kenya Colony. It is a denizen of swamps 

 and moist grasslands, which accounts for its discontinuous distribu- 

 tion. According to Shelley,*^ the "breeding season varies with the 

 climate, the object probably being to secure an adequate supply of the 

 food best suited to the young birds." 



Near Mount Kenya, Delamere found the birds in full nuptial dress 

 in February; Pease found them still in the winter plumage at that 

 time of the year at Koquecha, farther north (and also at Harrar in 

 November) . Van Someren ^^ found young birds in February, March, 

 August, and September, and an adult male in off-season dress in 

 November, in Uganda and Kenya Colony. 



Besides the actual specimens collected, Mearns recorded this weaver 

 as follows: Black Lake Abaya, March 21-23, 10 birds seen; Gato 

 Eiver near Gardula, March 29-May 17, 600; Anole, May 18, 10 birds; 

 Bodessa, May 19-June 3, 200; thence not again until reaching the 

 Lekiundu River, August 4^8, 600 birds; Guaso Mara River and Meru 

 Forest, August 9, 500; Meru Forest and Kilindi, August 10, 100; 20 

 miles east of Meru, August 10, 100 ; Tharaka district, August 12, 50 

 seen. 



COLIUSPASSER ARDENS SUAHELICA (van Someren) 



Penthetria laticauda suahelica van Soueben, Bull. Brit. Orn. Club, vol. 41, 



p. 121, 1921: Nairobi River. 

 Specimens collected: 



1 male, Meru Forest, Kenya Colony, August 10, 1912. 



1 male, Tana River, Kenya Colony, August 18, 1912. 



3 males, 1 female. Escarpment, Kenya Colony, September 8, 1812. 



The bird from Meru forest has the wings and tail of the breeding 

 plumage; the rest of the body is in "winter" dress. The other speci- 

 mens are all in dry-season plumage. 



Sclater ^^ follows the conclusions arrived at by Neunzig,*° except 

 that the former author recognizes teitensis van Someren, a race that 

 Neunzig fails to mention at all. All the Teita birds available to me 

 (6 specimens) are in off-season plumage and are of no value as indi- 

 cators of racial validity, and I therefore accept Sclater's decision, 



8' The birds of Africa, vol. 4, p. 46, 1905. 



^ Ibis, 1916, p. 418. 



88 Systema avium /T:thioplcarum. pt. 2, pp. 7G7-768, 1930. 



w Verb. Orn. Ges. Bayern, vol. 17, pp. 235-239, 1927. 



