— 238 — 



Mearn s also mentions that it is „l(3ss distinctly streaked 

 above", but in this I cannot agree, inasmucli as these two are 

 almost more distinctly streaked above, which I dare say is due 

 to the fact that both specimens are in moult and the old feat- 

 hers thus paler and more abraded on the edges, whereby the 

 centre of the feathers appear darker. 



Wing, tarsus, 



47, 50 mm. 19, 20 mm. 

 Irides, bill and legs as in the preceding. 



Cisticola erythrops erythrops (Hartl.). — Rchw. Ill, 568. 

 1 ^ ad. 18. 4. Kiambu. 



Sclater and Mackworth-Praed (ibis, 1918 

 p. 656 — 657) have separated three forms belonging to this 

 species and established the range of e. erythrops to West Africa: 

 Cameroon to the Gold Coast, and eastwards to Ruwenzori and 

 to the Lake district. But the boundary towards the east should 

 be moved to the regions of Kenia, as v. S o m e r e n (Ibis, 1916, 

 p. 456) has found the bird in the Nairobi district, jwhere the 

 present specimen was also shot. 



This individual agrees splendidly with Sclater and M.- 

 Praed's description and has the wing 60 mm., tarsus 24 mm. 



Irides, bill and legs as in the preceding. 



Calamocichla leptorhyncha parva (Fschr. & Rchw.). — 

 Rchw. III. p. 575. 



Calamocichla parva (Fschr. & Rchw.). Neumann: Nov. Zool., vol. XV, "1908 

 p. 247. 



3 (5c5 ad. 22. 4., 22. 4. ; 1 ^ 23. 4. Lake Naiwasha. 



Amongst the thick reeds in Lake Naiwasha this songster 

 was tolerably common. As a rule it frequented the outskirts 

 of the reed-belt, where it was extremely difficult to detect, but 

 I often heard its song from some little clump of reeds out in 

 the water, which mostly recalled the song of the the song-thrush. 

 When I came too close to it it flew a little distance along the 

 surface of the water to the shelter of the nearest reed-bed. 

 Here it at once began singing, nimbly hopping from stalk to 

 stalk or climbing up and down the reeds. But it always kept 

 to the lower end of the reeds, where it was well hidden and it 

 was only incidentally that I caught a glimpse of it. 



The plumage of tlie old birds agrees with Neumann's 

 description (Nov. Zool., vol. XV, 1908, p. 247) but my younger 

 specimens are, as a rule, somewhat darker above than the old 

 birds. 



