— 224 - 



younger cf specimen the under tail -coverts are dark greyish- 

 yellow with broad yellow edges. In old males the tail-feathers 

 are often dark steel-blue glossy with narrow purple-blue edges. 

 The females do not vary in the colours of the dress. The 

 tail-feathers are brownish black (sometimes with a faint steel- 

 blue lustre) and tipped with white. The outer tail-feathers 

 white in the lower half of the outer-web. 



Wing, culmen, tarsus, 



73, 73, 74, 74, 74, 75, 75, 75, 



76, 76.5, 77, 77, 78 mm. 26-30 mm. 18—20 mm. cfcf. 



65, 67, 67, 70 mm. 25—26 mm. 18 mm. 99. 



Reichenow (op. cit.) gives: wing 70 — 75 mm., culmen 

 25—28 mm. Although a large number of the present specimens 

 have a higher figure for the wing and culmen measurements 

 than those above there is no reason to separate them as a 

 distinct form. 



Neciarinia tacazze (Stanl.). — Rchw. III. p. 503. 



1 (5(5 ad. 4. 5. Molo. - 4 (5(5 ad. 27. 6.-30. 6.; 1 (5 juv. 29. 6.; 

 2 QQ ad. 20. 6., 1. 7. ; Mount Elgon. 



The first specimen of this species was shot on the station 

 grounds at Molo (on the north side of Mau), where the bird 

 was found in some low bushes along the rail-road. Later on, 

 7 specimens of this Sunbird was procured on the highest regions 

 of Elgon. 



Neumann (Journ. f. Orn., 1900, p. 257) considers that 

 tacazze occurs on the outskirts of the forests, and Z e d 1 i t z 

 gives expression to the same opinion (Journ. f. Orn., 1911, p. 63). 

 As far as the bird living on Elgon is concerned, it is no forest- 

 bird at all but occurs — or is at least seen — only in the areas 

 lying at an altitude of over 1 1000 feet, thus, where the forest 

 has already ceased. The vertical southern boundary of 

 the race is thus the slopes of the sub-alpine regions, covered 

 with Ericaces and other bushesi and bush-iike trees. At times 

 the bushes grow together into small communities in these areas, 

 but for the most part they are spread apart and the expanse of 

 the mountain meads gives character to these regions. Here at 

 an altitude of 11000 feet the bird in question is by no means 

 common, but the higher one ascends, where the bushes and 

 small trees become more and more sparse and at last cease 

 altogether, it occurs more commonly and up on the shores of 

 the crater-lake at about 13500 feet, where Senecio Johnstoni is 

 found in tall, tree-like forms, as high as 6—7 metres, which 

 simply form small forests, the bird is the commonest of those 

 living in this alpine region. Necfarinia tacazze is the bird which 

 goes highest on Elgon and as it frequents the Senecio -trees, 



