68 LAMPROTORNIS PURPUROPTERUS 



Hento Valley; and others have been collected in that country 

 by Mr. Gillett at Gilidi, and by Dr. Donaldson Smith at 

 Shiek Hasein. The latter explorer also procured specimens 

 at the Omo River and in the Maquois country. 



In Shoa the species has been obtained by Harris, Antinori, 

 and Mr. Oscar Neumann ; to the eastward in Southern Abys- 

 sinia at Hado (Lovat) ; Herrer (Harrison) ; Errer Gota, Kasani 

 River, and Hoorsa (Pease). Further north it is replaced by 

 the closely allied L. (pneucejjlialii.s. The egg, according to Mr. 

 Nehrkorn, is vuiiform sky blue, and measures 1'14 x 0"84. 



The northern form, Heuglin's Long-tailed Glossy Starling, 

 inhabits North-east Africa between 9° and 1G° N. lat. 



This is a good subspecies of L. iiiirimropteruii, resembling 

 it in its colouring, but is considerably larger, the average 

 measurement being: wing G'6, tail 8'0, and in L. purpurup- 

 teriis, wing G'O, tail G'l. 



Heuglin met with the species in Seunar and Kordofan and 

 records it as plentiful in the mountains of Northern Abyssinia 

 up to G,000 feet, living in small parties, mostly frequenting 

 the higher trees and occasionally the pasture lands, and he 

 not unfrequently saw them perclied on carcases, probably 

 searching for maggots, for, like the Starlings generally, their 

 food consists of all kinds of fruit and insects. They breed in 

 July and August, and construct a large nest in some tall tree. 

 The eggs are compared by Heuglin to those of our Blackbird. 

 Blanford writes (Geol. and Zool. Abyss., p. 397) : " Only seen 

 in the Anseba valley, where it was abundant, and often 

 observed associating with Laiiiprucullus clinhjbceiin and L. 

 chrysofjaster, especially about villages and cattle enclosures. 

 It was occasionally seen hawking insects in the air, as was also 

 L. chrysogaster. It appears, however, to be also frugivorous 

 at times. More than three or four were seldom seen together." 

 Mr. Witherby remarks ("Ibis,"' 1901, p. 249): "These birds 



fl 



