88 SPREO ALBiCAPILLUS 



Spreo albicapillus. 



Spreo albicapillus, Blyth, Journ. As. Soc. Bengal, 1S56, p. 301 Somali ; 

 Shelley, B. Afr. "l. No. 609 (189G) ; Reichen. Vog. Afr. ii. p. 678 

 (1903) ; Witherby, Ibis, 1905, p. 518 Somali; Edang. J. f. 0. 1905, 

 p. 705. 



Notauges albicapillus, Speke, Ibis, 1860, p. 246, pi. 7. 



Heteropsar albicapillus, Shai'pe, Cat. B. M. xiii. p. 186 (1890). 



Crateropus wickenburgi, Lorenz. Orn. Monatsb. 1898, p. 198i?. o/ ila/'rar. 



Adult. Upper parts glossy green, with the forehead, crown and a broad 

 band down the centre of the wing white ; lower back, upper tail-coverts, 

 tail and outer edges of the primaries slightly bluer than the mautle ; feathers 

 of the rump and the upper tail-coverts generally mottled with whitish ends 

 and shaft-stripes, which pattern is sometimes indicated on the feathers of 

 the hind neck and mantle; wing-coverts ashy brown slightly washed with 

 a green gloss and fading into buffy white on front of wing and on the 

 outer portion of the greater coverts ; the remainder of the white band down 

 the wing is formed by broad edges to the outer five secondaries ; under 

 surface of the quills and tail blackish brown, with the under wing-coverts 

 white ; in front of eyes black ; remainder of sides of head and the under 

 parts down to the abdomen dusky brown, rather variable in shade, with a 

 buff or white sliaft-stripe down each feather of the throat and chest, wider 

 and often spreading out into terminal margins on the chest ; abdomen, 

 thighs and under tail-coverts white. "Iris white; bill and feet black." 

 Total length 108 inches, culmen 09, wing 6'0, tail 4-8, tarsus 1-5. 

 S , 21. 1. 97, The Gooban (L. Phillips). 



Immature. Differs in the dark parts of the neck and body being more 

 uniform pale brown with scarcely any green gloss. "Iris brown; bill 

 yellow with the end blackish." Wing 6-2. J , juv., 30. 1. 97, Sheikh 

 (L. Phillips). 



Nestling. Similar to adult in pattern of plumage, but the dark parts of 

 a more ashy shade with a faint bronzy gloss on the secondaries and a 

 stronger green gloss on the tail. Bill entirely yellow ; tarsi and feet brown ; 

 wing 3'8. Udwein (Benett Stanford). 



The White-crowned Spreo inhabits Somalilaud. 



Speke, who discovered the species in SoniaUland, met 

 with it in large flocks fre(juenting pasture-land, where cattle 

 feed. ]Mr. Lort Phillips procured specimens at Gooban and 

 Sheikh, and remarks: "Fairly plentiful towards the southern 

 portion of the plateau. They breed in colonies in March, 



