28 BUPHAGA ERYTHRORHYNCHA 



Buphaga erythrorhyncha. 



Tanagra erythrovhyncha, Stanley, in Salt's Trav. Abyss. App. p. 59 



(1814) Abyssinia. 

 Buphaga erythrorhyncha, Temm. PI. Col. ii. pi. 465 (1828); Sharpe, 



Cat. B. M. xiii. p. 1% (1890) ; Shelley, B. Afr. I. No. 577 (1896) ; 



Eeichen. Vog. Afr. ii. p. 667 (1903); Grant, Ibis, 1904, p. 255 



GaUaland ; Clarke, t. c. p. 525 Natal ; Sparrow, Journ. S. Afr. 0. U. 



i. p. 9 (1905) S. Africa; A. L. Butler, Ibis, 1905, p. 323 Soudan; 



Neum. J. f. O. 1905, p. 237 ; Erlanger, t. c. p. 705 N. E. Afr. 

 Buphaga habessinica. Hemp, and Elir. Symb. Phys. Fol. W. pi. 9 (1828). 



Adult. General plumage brown gradually shading into sandy buff on the 

 breast and under tail-coverts. Iris red ; eyelids yellow ; bill entirely red ; 

 feet reddish brown. Total length 8'2 inches, culmen 0'7, wing 4-6, tail 3'6, 

 tarsus 0-8. <? , 17. 2. 01, Goraboutha (Pease), and $ , 19. 6. 76, Swaziland 

 (T. E. Buckley), wing 4-6. 



Immature. Similar to the adult, but slightly darker on the head and 

 neck. Iris brown ; eyelids pale yellow ; bill dusky reddish ; feet black. 

 Wing 4-6 ; 21. 3. 74, Durban (Shelley). 



The Eed-billcd Ox-pecker ranges over Eastern Africa from 

 Natal to 17° N. lat., and westward through the White Nile 

 district into Senegambia. 



Little is known regarding the species in Western Africa, 

 Marche and De Coinpiegne collected specimens at Dakar, 

 Mbao and Deine, and Hartlaub records others in Verreaux's 

 collection from Cassamanse, Bissao and Gaboon. According 

 to Dr. Sharpe (Layard's B. S. Afr. p. 4^20), Anchieta has met 

 with the species at Catunibella in Benguela, but I do not 

 know on what authority he made that statement. 



When I was in Natal these birds were common about 

 Durban and Pinetown, where tbey might be seen climbing all 

 over the cattle in search of parasites. On approaching a 

 flock thus engaged, they quickly moved to the backs of the 

 animals, where they sat in rows just before taking flight. 

 On leaving they rise for some 60 or 60 feet, and then fly 



