— 89 — 



Gymnobucco bonapartei cinereiceps Sharpe. ~ Ibis 1891, p. 122. 



4 (5(5 ad. 21. 5., 26. 5., 6. 6., 23. 7.\ 3 QQ ad. 21. 5., 11. 6., 23. 7.; 

 1 (5 juv. 22. 5.; 1 Q juv. 23. 5. Mount Elgon. 



In certain places on the eastern slopes of Mount Elgon this 

 bird was met with in fair numbers. It generally frequented the 

 heart of the forests and was almost always seen high up in the 

 branches of the dry trees. It runs up the trunks of the trees 

 with great alacrity and skill — like the woodpecker — con- 

 tinually turning and "jerking" its head and pecking into the 

 decayed tree-trunks and branches, thereby producing a sound 

 similar to the drumraings of the woodpecker. 



It flies swiftly and well and descends in long curves bet- 

 ween the short, few strokes of the wings. They are met with 

 always singly or in pairs and at times are only seen with diffi- 

 culty, owing to their darkbrown coloration unless, the loud blows 

 of their bills against the trees proclaim and betray their where- 

 abouts. 



In the stomachs of the 9 individuals examined I found 

 remains of insects and stone-fruits. — I have seen the bird up 

 to an altitude of 8.500 feet. 



Irides yellowish white, bill dark lead-grey, legs dark greyish 

 brown. In one or two there are a few brown streaks on the 

 upper mandible, and the lower mandible is considerably lighter 

 at the base than at the tip. 



The old bird has the nasal tufts yellowish brown and the 

 forehead yellow -speckled, but the tuft of the young bird is 

 dark-brown and black at the tips. Besides, it has not the straw- 

 coloured feathers on the forehead. The laack is uniform dark- 

 brown and not as in the adult, where the feathers of the back 

 and part of the shoulders have a white streak along the shaft. 

 The underparts are dark earth-brown and the light edges are 

 not very conspicuous. 



The tail is usually brownish black. Still, there are in my 

 series two specimens having a dark olive-green gloss and rusty 

 brown tips. These two have, besides, both the outer-web of the 

 wing-feathers and all the feathers of the underparts olive-green 

 at the tips. 



