50 



place in some individuals among about a dozen birds of 

 this species, which I brought home in 1902 and kept in 

 an aviary at home for 18 months ; there were originally 

 only two grey-headed birds among my collection, but 

 after aliout six months the change began in some of the 

 others, and eventually there remained about three of 

 each kind, true pairs, I believe — at any rate the grey- 

 headed ones were the only ones I ever heard sing, 

 the song being quite a sweet series of whistling notes. 



BUNTINGS. Two birds of this family are 

 known from the Gambia, the Red - winged Rock- 

 Bunting {Fringillaria septemstriata), and the Golden- 

 breasted Bunting {Eviberiza affiiiis), but so far I have 

 only come across the latter, which one not infre- 

 quently sees associating with Sparrows, Cordon Bleus 

 and Combassous in the scrub left among the fields 

 round the villages. It is a strikingly beautiful bird 

 with its bright yellow breast and black-and-white 

 striped head, and I hope to be able to bring some 

 living examples home, as they would make most 

 attractive cage-birds, and I think must be rare as 

 such, for I never remember to have seen one in 

 captivity. 



LARKS. The Senegal Crested Lark {Galerita) 

 is common, more particularly near the coast, where it 

 frequents the sandy country near the sea-shore. 



PIPITS. I have occasionally seen brown birds 

 which I feel sure were Pipits, probably A. ciwipeshis, 

 the Tawny Pipit, but I have never been able to 

 actually identify one of them. There is however one 

 member of the famil}^ fairly common, the Yellow- 

 throated Pipit or lyongclaw {Alacronyx croceiis) a 

 beautiful bird about the size and shape of a Skylark, 

 and marked like that bird above, but below having 

 the throat and breast in both sexes a brilliant yellow. 

 The name " Longclaw " is given to it owing to the 

 extreme length of the claws on its hind toes, a lark- 



