— 107 — 



Ceryle maxima (Pall.). — Rchw. II. p. 2^8. 



Megaceryle maxima maxima. — Miller : Bull. Amer. Mus, N. H., vol. XXXI, 

 1912, p. 296-297, 



1 cT juv. 3. 7. Mount Elgon, 7000 ft. 



By one of Elgon's mountain streams, banked on both sides 

 by dense forests, a pair of these birds was found. This was the 

 only time I saw the bird on the eastern slopes. 



The specimen shot is a young bird, which, in colour, 

 approaches the one described by Reich enow (op. cit. 

 p. 299 — 300). Still, the underparts are not in this case entirely 

 white but are provided all over with large, black spots. Along 

 the flanks and for some distance towards the middle of the belly 

 there are numerous rusty-brown spots. The fore-neck is mainly 

 black, that is, the feathers are black but are edged and tipped 

 with brown. 



1 often saw the birds plunge into the cold water of the 

 stream to procure something, but could not ascertain what it was. 

 Later on, however, when I got an opportunity to examine the 

 contents of the stomach, I found that they consisted entirely of 

 the remains of the crabs, so plentiful in these streams. 



Irides dark-brown; bill and legs black. 

 Miller (Bull. Am. Mus. N. H., vol. XXXI, 1912, p. 297) 

 has separated sharpei from maxima, which, however, Reichenow 

 (op. cit.) and other authors make synonyms. He says that in 

 the former the cf "has the belly heavily marked with slate color 

 but it is never rufous". He states further that ''sharpei is a 

 well marked race, which occurs in West and Equatorial Africa". 

 He mentions that he has not s-een any specimens, but affirms 

 that ''sharpei differs from the true maxima in its darker colo- 

 ration, the white spots of the upperparts much restricted and 

 wholly absent from the interscapulum; the abdomen, crissum, 

 under wing-coverts (and axillares doubtless) of the male heavily 

 barred with slate-grey," 



Meropidae. 



Melittophagus lafresnayei oreobates Sharpe. — Rchw. II. p. 303. 



NthuDgululu . . . ki-kamba. — Talingi . . . ki-suaheli. 

 1 Q ad. 18. 4. Kiambu. - 3 (5(5 ad. 26. 5., 8. 6.; 2 QQ ad. 3. 6., 24. 7.; 



2 (5(5 juv. 26. 5., 15. 6.; 1 Q juv. 26. 5. Mount Elgon 7.000 ft. 



From Kiambu (in the neighbourhood of Nairobi). I have 

 only one specimen, but according to Someren (Ibis, 1916, 

 p. 247) this bird is very common in these districts. 



This specimen differs in no respect from those procured 

 on Elgon, where the race is very common, inhabiting the 

 outskirts of the forests of the eastern slopes, especially spots 



