— 252 — 



met with very commonly. The vertical southern range, on the 

 eastern slopes of Elgon, seems to be about 12.000 feet above 

 sea-level and the bird occurs right up to 14.000 feet level, i. e. 

 up to the summit of Elgon. 



At the time — the end of June — when I visited these 

 regions this Stone Chat was almost always seen in small tiocks 

 of 4 — 5 in number and when alarmed they alighted just as often 

 on the branches of the small bushes as on the stones or rocks. 

 They were not very shy, and I could get very near them before 

 they took wing. 



Neumann separates six forms belonging to this species 

 (Journ. f. Orn., 1906, pp. 290—293) but also combines the Elgon 

 form under ernesti, to which M a d a r a s z , however, has given 

 the name of rudolphi (Orn. Monatsber., 1912, p. 175). Thus, 

 we have at least 7 forms to reckon with. 



M a d a r a s z characterises this form, by showing that it is 

 smaller than the Kilimanjaro-form hypospodida (to which form 

 R e i c h e n w : Vog. Afr. Ill, p. 714, before M a d a r a s z 

 described it, refers Elgon specimens). S j o s t e d t gives the 

 wing-measurement for hypospodida from Kilimanjaro as 70 — 80 

 mm. (Wiss. Erg. Schw. Zool. Exp. Kilimanjaro-Meru 1905—1906, 

 Stockholm 1910, p. 168). As appears from the table below the 

 difference in size is null or very slight. On the other hand, 

 the other distinguishing features are good, i. e. lower surface 

 with strong brown wash; the black-brown band on the outer 

 tail-feathers narrower. According to Madarasz the wing is 

 71 — 74 mm., the tarsus 28 — 30 mm. Neumann has measured 

 three Elgon-specimens and gives 75—79 mm. as the wing-length. 



In the series of 15 specimens before me it appears that 

 the adult specimens have a very dark- brown upper surface, 

 while that of the young birds is blackish brown. The three 

 outer tail-feathers are white with narrow blackish brown tips. 

 The fourth rectrix is, as a rule, white on the upper four-fifths 

 of the outer web, otherwise blackish brown. St)metimes the 

 white extends a little on to the inner web. 



Further, in the young birds the feathers of the lower sur- 

 face are tipped with dark-brown, so that the lower parts look 

 as if they were furnished with uneven undulations. Moreover, 

 the wing-coverts and primaries are furnished with broad rust- 

 brown edges and tips. 



Wing, tarsus, 



69, 72, 75, 75, 75, 78 mm. 29—31 mm. cTd' ad. 



72, 73, 73 mm. 29—31 mm. 99 ad. 



70, 70, 72, 73, 74, 75 mm. 29 — 31 mm. juv. 



Irides dark-brown; bill dark-brown — black (in the young 

 bird the lower mandible is yellowish brown); legs black. 



