I02 



and plant-down ; in shape, spherical with an opening 

 at one side. It contained two eggs, clear pinkish 

 white with a few minnte reddish spots at the larger 

 end. 



SWALLOWS are common here all the year 

 round, though I suppose that many of those we see 

 in the winter are only visitors. One of our resident . 

 species is commonly called in Bathurst the ''Singing 

 Swallow," and quite deserves the name for his sweet 

 notes. It nests in the verandahs, making a mud nest 

 like the English Swallow; its main markings are 

 black and white, its wings are rather blunt and tail 

 not very long, thus contrasting markedly with the 

 common Swallow of the Bush, which is a larger bird, 

 blue-black above and red-brown below, with long 

 wings and a deeply-forked tail. This bird also makes 

 a mud nest, but fixes it usually to the thatch inside 

 the native houses, while in the dry season, when not 

 breeding, they usually roost in small parties on the 

 highest branches of dead trees. 



With the Swallows we finish the Passerine birds, 

 and as a Swallow easily suggests a Swift, I cannot do 

 better than commence my account of the Non- 

 Passeres with the Swifts. 



SWIFTS. The Gambian bird exactly resembles 

 the English Swift in appearance (at a distance) and in 

 its elevated flight, and may indeed be the same 

 species, but I expect that it is more probably the allied 

 C affinis, which extends throughout the whole of 

 Tropical Africa and Southern Asia. 



NIGHTJARS. A bird very similar to the 

 European one, but rather smaller and lighter in 

 colour (? Caprhnalgiis inornatics) is very common, 

 and several of them are to be seen every evening 

 gliding with rapid noiseless flight round trees and 

 dwellings. They are particularly in evidence round 



