50 COSMOPSAIUJS UNICOLOK 



Soinaliland Dr. Donaldson Smith procured several specimens. 

 Mr. Hawker writes : " I foimd these Ijirds distrihuted from 

 within thirty miles of Berbera to the western frontier of 

 Harar. They went in flocks often with Spreo supevhiiH, but 

 were rather shy and did not feed about the camp like the 

 latter bird." Mr. Lort Phillips remarks : " This bird is far 

 from plentiful, but is to be met with on the open plains in 

 small parties of three or four. I never noticed it in the 

 thickly wooded parts of the Goolis, nor could I find out where 

 it nested. A flock of tliese gorgeous birds in the dazzling 

 sunshine is a sight not to l)e forgotten." Mr. Elliot observes: 

 " When flj'ing it was a graceful object as it floated in the air 

 with the long tail spread out to its full extent." ]\li'. Pease 

 has met with it in Northern Somalilaud and at Errer Gota 

 in South Abyssinia, which is the most northern range known 

 for the species. In the Western Somali district, between 

 the .Tub River and Shoa, Erlanger procured several specimens, 

 and, on April 4, found a pair had built in a hole of a tree 

 12 to 13 feet from the ground. The nest was composed of 

 shreds of bark, straw and small leaves, and although it was 

 empty the two old birds remained in the vicinity during his 

 inspection. Another nest, found on the following day, was 

 placed in the cleft of a tree at about a yard from the ground, 

 and was composed of roots, feathers and bits of snake-skin, 

 and contained two hard-set eggs. These eggs were of a pale 

 bluish green, with a few small rufous spots mostl}' towards 

 the thick end, and measured 1"1 X 0'7(). 



Cosmopsarus unicolor (Plate 44, fig. 2). 



Cosmopsarus unicolor, Shelley, Ibis, 1881, p. IIC Uijogo ; Sharpe, Cat. 

 B. M. xiii. IfiO (1890): Shelley, B. Afr. No. 585 (1896); Eeicheu. 

 Vog. Afr. ii. p. 712 (1903). 



Tyj)c. General colouring ashy brown ; a triangular patch in front of the 

 eyes almost Ijlack ; wings and tail glossed with green, and with numerous 



