ONYCHOGNATHUS ALBIROSTRIS 115 



Adult male. Plumage, with the exception of the primaries, glossy blue 

 black with a violet shade on the head, neck, back, scapulars, lesser wing- 

 coverts and chest ; remaining portions slightly greener ; primaries cinnamon 

 slightly paler below than above, but, with the first primary and fairly 

 broad end to the other, blackish ; the cinnamon extends beyond the end of 

 the secondaries. "Iris red; bill white; feet black." Total length Hi 

 inches, culmen 09, wing 64, tail 4-7, tarsus 1-3. ^ , 1. 7. 99, Let Marefia 

 (Antinori). 



Adidt female. Differs in having the entire head and neck uniform grey. 

 Total length 9-5 inches, culmen 0-9, wing 60, tail 4-5, tarsus 1-25. ? , 

 26. 5. 68, Senafe (Blanford). 



Immature male. Differs from the adult in having the head and neck 

 mottled with grey. J' , Abyssinia (Leadhetter). 



The White-billed Chestnut-winged Starling inhabits 

 North-east Africa from 7° to 17° X. lat. 



The most southern range known for the species is 

 Ginir, in Arussi Gallaland, where Erlanger procured three 

 specimens, and it is abundant in Shoa, especially in the 

 forest near Ankober, according to Dr. Ragazzi. Eiippell, 

 who discovered the species, remarks that it is generally 

 distributed over Abyssinia in small flocks, and has a loud, 

 monotonous note which is heard only during flight. The 

 note as well as the habits, Heuglin compares to those of our 

 Jackdaw, and remarks that they frequent cliffs, ruins and 

 high trees, and he met with them in the highlands between 

 5,500 and 10,000 feet. Blanford (Geol. and Zool. Abyss, 

 p. 401) writes: "Precisely like A. riippeJU, the present bird 

 is social, lives on fruits, and roosts in large communities 

 among rocks. It was only seen in the highlands, and was 

 particularly common in the neighbourhood of Senafe." It 

 has been recorded from as far west as the ^Yhite Nile, by 

 Antinori. 



