BIRDS OF ETHIOPIA AND KENYA COLONY 459 



Specimens collected : 



i; adult males, Ourso, Ethiopia, June 19 and November 7, 1911 (Ouellard). 

 6 adult males, 1 immature male, 2 adult females, 1 immature female. Dire 



Daoua, Ethiopia, October 27-December 21, 1911. 

 2 adult males, Hawash River, Ethiopia, February 7-9, 1912. 

 2 adult males, 1 adult female, Gidabo River, Ethiopia, March 17, 1912. 

 8 adult males, 3 adult females, Gato River near Gardula, Ethiopia, April 



2-May 2, 1912. 

 1 adult female, Bodessa, Ethiopia, May 20, 1911. 



1 adult male, 1 adult female, Sagon River, Ethiopia, June 4, 1912. 



2 immature males, 2 immature females, Tertale, Ethiopia, Jmie 8, 1912. 



Soft parts: Bill red (purplish black at base of maxilla in female) ; 

 eye rim red. 



In the original description of this race, van Someren gave its range 

 as "the desert country in western Uganda south to South Rudolf and 

 Suk." This, of course, is quite wrong, as the bird never occurs in 

 western Uganda. Later ^^ he corrected it to "South Ethiopia to Lake 

 Rudolf and Turkana." 



The birds taken in March and April are in fresh plumage ; molting 

 birds were collected in December, April, and June; worn specimens 

 in October, November, and December. Ogilvie-Grant ^^ writes that 

 none of the specimens obtained by Zaphiro north of Lakes Rudolf 

 and Stefanie in August are in full plumage. It is a little difficult to 

 reconcile this with the plumage condition of the present specimens. 



One of the males from Gidabo River is very pale generally and 

 partly albinistic on the upper abdomen. The females vary greatly, 

 some being much darker than others on the head, throat, and breast. 



The size variations are as follows : Males — wings, 53.5-58 (average, 

 56.1) ; tail, 5G-65.5 (61.4) ; culmen, 10-12 (11.1) ; tarsus, 1^17 (15.4 

 mm). Females — wing, 50.5-58 (54.9); tail, 53-61.5 (57.7); culmen, 

 10-11.5 (10.9) ; tarsus, 14^16 (15.3 mm). 



Very little has been recorded of the habits of this race of the purple 

 grenadier. Pease *^ found it very common at low altitudes, "where 

 it frequents the bush" at Moulou, Arbawun, and Hiiliil. Mearns wrote 

 that the birds taken at Sagon River, June 4, were a mated pair. 



Erlanger ^° found the Somali race haiolceri breeding in April and 

 May. 



Mearns recorded this weaver as "common along the edges of the 

 grass and bush country," between Dire Daoua and Gada Bourca in 

 February. In the Sidamo and Boran regions he recorded it as fol- 

 lows: Gidabo River, March 15-17, 100; Abaya Lakes, March 18-19, 

 110 birds; Gato River near Gardula, March 29-May 17, 200; Bodessa, 



^ Nov. Zool., vol. 29, p. 159, 1922. 



»3 Ibi.s, 1913, p. 572. 



«• Ibis, 1901, p. 620. 



■0 Joiirn. fiir Orn., 1907, pp. 23-24. 



