116 QUELEA MTHIOPICA 
the west of Kilimanjaro Mr. Oscar Neumann met with it at 
Umbugwe and Neuruman. Mr. Jackson found it at Machako's 
and in the Teita country. In the British Museum there are 
specimens from Kilimanjaro, the Athi River, Lake Rudolf and 
Somaliland, where it has been recorded by M. Oustalet, and by 
Mr. Elliot, who writes: ‘‘ This Weaver-bird was frequently 
seen in large flocks on the plateau. It would sometimes roost 
in great numbers near the camp in some trees overgrown with 
vines, which afforded a thick shelter. At the place where our 
specimens were collected a large number were shot and served 
for breakfast the next morning, and were as nice a morsel as 
is our reed or rice-bird, the much persecuted Bob-a-link.” 
Dr. Bowdler Sharpe, in an article upon Dr. Donaldson 
Smith’s collection from Somaliland, observes : ‘* The way in 
which the black varies in extent on the lores in this series 
makes me very doubtful of the validity of . intermedia.” 
In Southern Abyssinia Lord Lovat found it during January 
in flocks with other Finches at Lake Harrar Meyer, Baroma 
and Gadaburka, and Mr. Pease met with it near the wells 
and pools at Fullfully. Antinori and Ragazzi have collected 
sixteen specimens from many places in Shoa, including repre- 
sentatives of Q. ethiopica, Sundey., (). intermedia, Reichen., and 
Q. russi, Finsch. Mr. A. L. Butler writes to me: ‘ Quelea 
ethiopica | met with in large flocks (winter plumage) on the 
Blue Nile between Khartoum and Wad Medani in March, and 
also found it abundant at Gedaref and Gallabat in May and 
June, still in large flocks, crowding to drink at pools in the 
rocky ‘khors’ during the heat of the day. Round these pools 
the ground had the appearance of having been thickly 
sprinkled with rice from their droppings. On May 27 I killed 
thirty-seven with one shot, and of these one only was begin- 
ning to assume the breeding plumage. Considerable damage 
is done to the crops by the vast flocks of these birds and 
Xanthophilus galbula.” 
