i8t 



flocks of almost silent l^rown birds ronml the wells, the 

 next the cocks are all in colour, and the chattering 

 noise they make is deafening. 



The commonest Weaver about here is a large yellow 

 one with a black mask, but I have seen at least two 

 kinds of Bishops as well. Waxbilled Weavers are also 

 pretty common, but sli}er and not so consj^icuous as the 

 others. 



Combassous and Paradise Whydahs, generally in 

 families of one cock and six to twelve hens, one sees 

 every day. They .seem to prefer the more distant 

 cultivated lands, and apparently are in colour for a 

 longer time than the Weavers, at least I have seen full- 

 coloured cocks ever since my arrival here in January. 



Of the Serins, I have kept two kinds — the common 

 Green Singing l-'inch and a nearly allied species (I think 

 the Bridled vSerin). There is another one, grey and yellow, 

 which has a really sweet song and which the natives call 

 "el paca." I think I have seen this bird occasionally in 

 a consignment of West African birds in England, but 

 have not seen one near enough to be certain. 



I have been unable to get many birds caught during 

 my stay, the natives having apparently very little idea 

 of trapping, and the only birds brought in at all 

 frequently have been Parrots (vSenegal and Ring-necked), 

 and these are generally nestlings. 



Another bird, which I caught myself, I had never 

 seen before : it was one of the genus Polwspiza, a dull- 

 coloured Sparrow-like bird of no interest excej)t perhaps 

 for its rarit}-. 



In Bathurst the boys catch a good many Singing 

 Finches (Canaries as they call them) but up country it is 

 difficult to get the natives to understand what one wants, 

 and even when one succeeds in that they are often too 

 lazy or too ignorant to do what is wanted. Only the 

 other day I thought I had at last found two cow-boys 

 who seemed to be able to set satisfactory traps, and they 

 went away promising " plenty baby birds." Four days 



