KUNOL. SV. VET. AKADEMIENS HANDLING AK. HAND 47. NIO 5. 1l!t 



Cosmopsarus regius Rchw. 



Rchw. II, p. 713. 



This beautiful bird was seen in the thornbush country north of Guaso Nyiri several 

 times. Usually small flocks counting 4 to 8 specimcns wcre observed, but the birds did 

 not stay long in one place, thcy flew from bush to bush, or from an acacia to another, and 

 as soon as they perceived that somebody was stalking them, they extended their flight 

 to more distant places. Therefore I was not able to obtain more than one single specimen, 

 a male shot the lOth of March. This specimen had the testidés much swelled which 

 proves that the bird in question breeds in the thornbush country north of Guaso Nyiri 

 below Chanler Falls at that time of the year. Iris whitish yellow. 



The first time I saw Cosmopsarus regius was on the march between Njoro and Thera 

 and I wrote then in my diary that I had seen at some distance a long-tailed bird which 

 in size and flight resembled a cuckoo but which had the most splendid colours, sometimes 

 shining blue, sometimes violet, and with the underparts rich yellow. 



It appears to be a member of the Somali fauna, although it has been found further 

 south as well. 



Ploceidse. 



Dinemellia dinemelli [(Horsf.) Rupp.]. 



Rchw. III, p. 7. 



Common on the acacia-steppe at Lekiundu and other places south of Guaso Nyiri, 

 but also common in the thornbush north of the said river for instance at Njoro, and other 

 localities. 



At Lekiundu I obtained a very peculiar dwarf specimen of this species. It is in full 

 plumage, and must consequently be fullgrown, but its dimensions are very small. For 

 comparison some measurements are recorded below: 



The dwarf Normal specimens 



Length of wiug 100 mm. 108—112 mm. (115—125 Rchw.) 



» tail 65 » 73— 83 » ( — 83 » ) 



Culmen 17 » 21— 23 » ( — 24 ) 



The nests (with t wo entrances ) are dif f erent from those of other weaverbirds with 

 regard to the material used, for Dinemellia selects twigs instead of grass and straws for 

 its structures (conf. Pl. I, fig. 1). 



Plocepasser melanorhynchus Rupp. 



Rchw. III, p. 12. 



The first specimens of this kind was shot 2 Vi 1911 between Kagio and Kutu in a 

 tree standing in a shamba. I believed then that it was a straying individual but that 

 must not have been the case, because when passing the same way two months låter many 

 specimens were seen, nearly in the same place and also south of Kagio. Plocepasser me- 



