92 PYROMELANA FRANCISCANA 
it was very common on the higher ground of the interior, both 
on the Niger and Benué Rivers, and he took a nest with eggs 
in September at Kaschia. 
It is generally distributed over Central and North-east 
Africa from 22° N. lat. on the Nile (from whence it has been 
recorded by Heuglin) to the Equator. It is represented in 
the British Museum by specimens from Uganda, Lado, Redjaf, 
Fashoda, Senaar, Kordofan, Omdurman, Shendi, Shoa, Southern 
Abyssinia, Lake Baringo, Eldoma Ravine, and from Somali- 
land. I can distinguish no local forms and agree with Dr. 
Bowdler Sharpe (Ibis, 1902, p. 119) that P. franciscana pusilla, 
Hartert, ‘‘ will not stand, even as a subspecies,” the type of 
which was procured at Lake Stephanie by Dr. Donaldson 
Smith, who procured other specimens at Barri in Central 
Somaliland. 
Speke met with large flocks of these Bishop-birds in the 
cornfields of Unyoro, and Dr. Ansorge found them near the 
Rafu River in that country and at Kibero. Mr. Jackson has 
procured specimens at Elgeyo in the Kamassia Mountains 
and at the Kldoma Ravine, which is the most southern range 
known to me for the species. In this district specimens 
have been collected by Lord Delamere at Lake Baringo. 
In Somaliland Mr. Gillett procured the species at Bodeweno, 
and Mr. Lort Phillips writes: ‘‘ Only plentiful on the Webbe 
Shebeyli in the cornfields, where it assembles in large flocks 
of from fifty to one hundred.” In Southern Abyssinia it 
was also met with in large flocks by Lord Lovat, who shot 
specimens at Hado, Lake Harar-Meyer and Lake Chercher, 
and Mr. Pease collected others at Goraboutha, 'ladejemulka 
and Filwa. These were in the winter dress from December to 
February, but in the early part of March they began to assume 
the bright breeding plumage. In Shoa Antinori procured 
specimens in May and September, Dr. Ragazzi others in April 
and August, and Mr. Degen met with them therein July. Before 
