228 Mr. V. G. L. van Somereu on Birds 



The Great Blue Plantain-eater was found in the large 

 forests, in pairs or in flocks. They were very noisy. These 

 birds are excellent hoppers, both on trees and on the ground. 

 They build a rough nest of twigs, which resembles that of a 

 Wood -Pigeon's, only much larger. One or two eggs are 

 laid, almost spherical in shape, and white in colour. The 

 young when hatched are covered with a fine, short, black, 

 woolly down. The bill is horn-coloured with pale edges and 

 a prominent white spike on the tip of the upper mandible 

 and a yellowisli base. The feet are black. Eggs have been 

 taken in September and nestlings in July. 



Localities. Bale, Kyetema, Mabira, in Uganda. 



Musophaga rossse. 



c? 1-3. 20.vi.06; 10.x. 06; 10. x.06. 

 $. 21A.12. 



The Scarlet-crested Plantain-eater is common in Uganda, 

 but not in British East Africa. They nest in May, and also 

 in October. The nest is constructed of twigs and is merely 

 a shallow platform. The eggs are a pale bluish, and two in 

 number ; they are almost spherical. 



Young birds in the first plumage are not so blue as adults, 

 as the individual feathers are blackish with a faint dark 

 blue wash. 



Localities. Kyetema, Bale, Mpumu, and Mabira, in 

 Uganda. 



CMzaerhis leucogastra. 



c? 1; ? 1-2. 19.vi.06; 19.vi.06; ? 1909. 



The Yellow-billed Plantain-eater was seen in fair numbers 

 in the forests. When displaying, the males ruffle out the 

 neck-plumes and raise the crest, giving them a fierce appear- 

 ance. The nest of this species is like that of the foregoing. 

 The eggs are white and round. 



Localities. Kyetema, Bale, in Uganda. 



GymnoscMzorhis personata centralis. 



Gyinnoschizorhispersonata centralis Neumann, Bull. B.O. C. 

 xxi. 1908, p. 91 : Kitangula, W. of Victoria Nyauza. 

 S 1-3. 15. v. 09; ?1909. 

 ? 1-3. 15. V. 09 ; 21. vi. 12 ; ? 1909. 



