55 

 BIRDS IN NIGERIA. 

 HE following reply was sent to a iiieiiiber who i.s 

 proceeding to the Niger, and desired information as 

 to the birds of the conntry and hints on capturing 

 birds and bringing them home : — 

 Shelley's •' Birds of Africa " is practically the only book, but 

 it is not complete yet (only three volumes are out) and as it 

 is two guineas a volume it is much too expensive for practical 

 use. I believe there is a French book (by Rochbrune, I 

 think) "Oiseaux de Senegambie," but it is not considered very 

 accurate, and would in an}' case be of litile use for Niger birds. 

 Within the last two years Capt. Boyd Alexander, the chief 

 authority on Nigerian birds, has written several articles upon 

 these birds in the " Ibis," and if descriptions etc. are wanted, 

 you cannot do better than get the numbers of the "Ibis," in 

 which they appeared. I am sorry I cannot just now name 

 them, but they are easil}' found out. 



As regards traps. I should think trap cages would be 

 absolutely useless, and if the Nigerian natives are like the 

 Gambian, there will be some among them skilled at trapping 

 and possessed of very ingenious clapnets, which look clumsv 

 but work well in their hands, though a wliite man would be 

 lielpless with them. 



As to cages. Wire fronts, made to fit packing cases, could 

 be easily taken out, but there are several objections to the 

 plan, chiefly the difficulty of cleaning out such makeshift 

 cages. I think a better plan is to have wire cages made with- 

 out bottoms, to fit into wooden cases. When going out, the 

 wire tops are inverted and form an inner wire lining to the 

 case, which can be used for baggage etc. When in use as a 

 cage, the wire top is put the right way up. fastened to the 

 wooden case (which now forms the lower half of the cage) bv 

 a couple of chains wdiich just allow it to come within an inch 



