600 Mr. F. J. Jackson on Birds 



also moved up and down very rapidly. The bird springs 

 straight up in tlie air, sometimes for a few inches and some- 

 times to a height of 2 feet, and then drops. The whole of 

 the plumage is much puflFed out throughout the performance, 

 which is repeated five or six times, with a short interval 

 for rest. The game would appear to be somewhat fatiguing, 

 as a bird rarely maivcs more than five or six jumps at a time 

 without a short rest. Only on one occasion was a female 

 present on the play-ground. They very often assume their 

 curious jumping attitude some little distance before tliey 

 arrive at their play-ground. At night they roost in the tall 

 reeds and rushes in the swampy hollows. 



27. Penthetriopsis soror. 



Penthetriopsis soror Reichen. ; Sharpe, Ibis, 1891, p. 247. 



Penthetria soror Reichen. Vog. deutsch. Ost-Afrikas, 

 p. 191 (1894). 



Coliipasser soror Shelley, B. Africa, p. 24 (1896) . 



a. cf ad. Busoga, Nov. 16, 1894. Bill black, the lower 

 mandible horu-blue; feet slate-colour ; iris brown. 



No. 838. S imm. Kakamega, Kavirondo, Feb. 8, 1898. 

 Iris brown ; bill black, the lower mandible horny white ; 

 feet black. 



No. 932. S ad. Kavirondo, 4500 feet, March 28, 1898. 

 Bill black, the tips of the lower mandible horn-blue. 



Nos. 1106-1108, S] 1109-1112, ?. Kakamega, Kavi- 

 rondo, May 15, 1898. In the males the iris is brown, the 

 bill black, the lower mandible horny blue, with a black base. 

 In the females the iris is brown, the bill pale olive-brown, 

 the lower mandible whitish horn-colour ; feet pale fleshy 

 brown with dusky blue tints. 



Not seen in the Nandi country. It is very plentiful in 

 Kakamega and all along the cart-road to Manicus. 



28. Urobrachya ph(enicea. 



Urobrachya phcenicea (Heugl.) ; Sharpe, Ibis, 1891, p. 247; 

 Reichen. J. f. 0. 1892, p. 45 (Bukoba: Mengo) ; id. Vog. 

 deutsch. Ost-Afrikas, p. 191 (1894) ; Shelley, B. Africa, i. 

 p. 24(1896). 



