KUNGL. SV. VET. AKADEMIENS HANDLINGAR. RAND 47. N:0 5. 33 



As products of this breeding season are to be regarded young binls in spotted plu- 

 mage of Alclhc poliocephala akeleyce shot 2a /a and of Dioptrornis fischeri shol 22 /s. Ileie- 

 rolrogon vittatum liad young in moult M /a. 



In the Guaso Nyiri district, as well on the steppe south as in the thornbush north of 

 thc river, the decidedly greater number of birds were found to be ready to breed in 

 February so that it is possible that the rains normally begin in that month, although 

 tliere were none during our stay there (neither in February nor in March). Some species 

 appear, however, to be a little irregular. So, for instance, were both Larks, Mirafra poecilo- 

 sterna and hi/permetra, found with swelled genital organs as well in February as in March. 

 Batis orientalis somaliensis, Laniarius funebris, Cosmopsarus, and Chalcomitra hunteri had 

 swelled genital organs about the middle of March. The acacias had then begun to bloom 

 but no rain had fallen as yet, and there were very few signs of any spring development. 

 The bushes were as grey and leafless as ever, but the year may have been abnormal. 



In the following list the species are enumerated in the same order as in Reichenow's 

 standard work »Die Vögel Africas». This is do ne for convenience's sake, although the 

 present author does not agree with the author quoted concerning the order and relation- 

 ship of some of the families, e. g. I should have preferred to place Corvidce at the top of 

 the system and so on. This appears, however, of minor importance in such a paper as 

 the present in which the zoogeography is the main point, and in such a case it appears 

 mostly valuable to facilitate the reference to the great work which comprises the know- 

 ledge of the Ornis of the whole continent. 



Under each name »Die Vögel Afrikas » is for shortness' sake only quoted as »Rchw. » 

 with reference to volume and page. 



In several cases birds recorded in the following pages, according to my opinion 

 ought to be regarded only as subspecies of other species, but as I have not always had 

 sufficient material for forming a certain opinion of my own I have refrained from the use 

 of trinomials, although such certainly ought to have been used oftener than is done. 



Strnthionidse. 



Struthio massaicus Neum. 



Rchw. I, p. 10. 



When passing över the plains near Nairobi, at Juja farm and some other localities 

 Ostriches were observed several times — not counting the domesticated ones — . As I 

 had not permission to shoot any Ostrich in »the settled country» I could not ascertain to 

 what species these Ostriches belonged. I think, however, that I am not mistaken when 

 assigning them to the above species, as the country in which they lived is a direct conti- 

 nuation of the steppes in which this species has been stated. 



The raising of Ostriches occupies several settlers in British East Africa and is done 

 wich success. Eggs of wild Ostriches are also collected and artificially hatched in incu- 



K. Sv. Vet. Akad. Handl. Band 47. N:o 5. 5 



