454 NILAUS MINOR 
Nilaus afer minor, Reichen. Vog. Afr. ii. p. 540 (1903) ; Erlanger, J. f. O. 
1905, p. 691 Shoa and Somali ; Neumann, J. f. O. 1907, p. 362. 
Nilaus afer erlangeri, Hilgert, Orn. Monatsb. 1907, p. 63 Mane River, 
S. Somaliland ; Neumann, J. f. O. 1907, p. 363. 
Nilaus afer massaicus, Neumann, J. f. O. 1907, p. 363 Donje Erok, 
German E. Africa ; Sjostedt, Kilimandjaro-Meru Exped. Vég. p. 112 
(1910). 
Male. Smaller, but otherwise similar to the adult of N. brwbrw in all its 
colouring, with the same amount and shade of chestnut on the sides of the 
body, but with the white wing band and mantle patches slightly washed with 
coffee-brown. ‘Iris brown; bill light brown; legs grey” (Degen). Total 
length 5:1 inches, culmen 0:65, wing 3:0, tail 1:9, tarsus 0°75. Okoto, type 3, 
8. 9. 94 (Donaldson Smith). 
Female. Has the crown, back and wings dusky brown where it is black 
in the male, and is slightly smaller. Wing 2-9 inches. Gura (Gillett). 
Immature. Resembles the female, but has the crown and back finely 
spotted with whitish, and the under parts transversely banded with narrow 
dusky bars; no chestnut on the flanks in very young birds. 
The Lesser Brubru ranges from northern Somaliland and 
southern Shoa southwards to Kilimanjaro and the Natron 
Lakes. 
The type was obtained by Donaldson Smith at Okoto on 
the Shebeili River in central Somaliland, and it has also 
been met with by the other Somaliland collectors, Lort 
Phillips, Hawker, Degen, Erlanger and Bury. The most 
northerly recorded locality appears to be Aruweina on the 
Zeila-Harrar road, where Pease collected an example. 
In British East Africa it has been met with by Jackson, in 
whose collection there is a large series from various localities, 
also by Gurney in Kibwesi, by Neumann round the foot of 
Kilimanjaro, and by Schillings at Donje Erok. 
Neumann recognizes three forms of this species as 
follows :— 
Nilaus afer minor, in northern Somaliland from near 
Harrar to Berbera, and south to the Ogaden country. 
Nilaus afer erlangeri, distinguished by its paler flank 
lee 
