— 72 — ■ 



Psittacidae. 



Foicephalus gulielmi massaicus (Fschr. & llchw.). — Rchw. II. p. 10. 



Ngwei . . . ki-kamba. 



1 ^ ad. 9. 5. Eldorot 8.000 feet. - 3 ^^ ad. 12. 6., 13. 6., 22. 7.; 



Mount Elgon. — 1 Q ad. 9. 5. Eldoret. - 3 og ad. 3. 6., 



11. C, 22. 7.; 1 Q juv. 24. 7. Mount Elgon. 



I secured the first specimen of this parrot 3 days' march from 

 Londiani, in the direction of Eldoret, when we camped on the edge 

 of the forest at an altitude of about 8.000 fest above sea-level. 



On the eastern slopes of Mount Elgon this parrot was very 

 common, and the only member of the family seen there. Every 

 morning shortly after sunrise they came singly or in small flocks 

 from the acacia plains and flew whistling and screaming into 

 the forest on the slopes of the mountain, and regularly every 

 evening they were heard noisily returning to the plains 

 again. Judging from my observations they do not spend the 

 nights in the forests, although at times this would appear to be 

 so, for it happened a few times that just before night-fall I saw 

 one or two pairs resting for a while in some tall tree on the 

 edge of the forest. But they soon took to flight again and con- 

 tinued on their way down to the acacias on the plains. 



During the day they were seldom seen or heard, but in the 

 early morning — while the dew still remained ~ they were always 

 on the move and the forests resounded with their harsh, whist- 

 ling cries. Then they sat pair and pair or 3 to 4 of them to- 

 gether in the highest tops of the giant Podocarpus trees eating 

 of its fruits. They were not afraid nor did they try to hide 

 themselves, and if the first shot missed they were not frightened 

 away but calmly remained sitting, and on one occasion when I 

 aimed at a pair tenderly sitting close to each other in the top 

 of a tall tree, it troubled them very little, although the twigs 

 all around fell, but they continued undisturbed their "tete-a-tete" 

 until another shot put an end to it for ever. 



I have come across this parrot as far up as 9.500 feet, 

 that is, as high up as the Podocarpus trees follow the slopes 

 of the mountain, for the chief food of these birds consists of the 

 fruit of this Conifer. All the 9 specimens contained in the 

 collection had nothing but the fruit of this tree in their stomachs. 



With regard to the measurements of the wing, tarsus etc. 

 and the coloration of the dress there are some small differences. 

 In these specimens the length of the wing varies 

 for cTcf ad. 207—210 mm. 



„ 99 ad. 192—210 mm, 



„ 9 juv. 195 mm. 

 total length 280-310 mm. 



length of tarsus 19—21.5 mm. 

 length of bill from cere 28—31 mm. 



