74 Notes on the Ornithology of the Gold Coat. 



I have shot it near Sierra Leone, in Yawry Bay, at the 

 mouth of Campbell-Town Creek, where I observed it in con- 

 siderable numbers, in company with a large flock of Pelicans. 

 Both descriptions of birds had their eggs on a large solitary 

 rock about one mile from the land ; and the islet was abso- 

 lutely covered with them. 



162. NuMBNius PH^opus (L.) : Sharpe, Ibis, 1872, p. 74. 



163. NuMENius ARCUATUs (L.) : Sharpe, I.e. 



A very common bird along the Gold Coast, and, indeed, 

 apparently in all parts of West Africa. It differs in no wise 

 in its habits from the European bird, and is wary and difficult 

 of approach. N. phcBopus is not perhaps so common, how- 

 ever, on the Gold Coast as N. arcuatus ; and this remark 

 applies to the whole coast from the Gambia to Lagos. In 

 the neighbourhood of Sierra Leone, however, I have noticed 

 it more frequently. 



164. ToTANus cALiDRis, Bcclist. : Sharpe, Ibis, 1872, p. 74. 

 Tolerably common on the Gold Coast and at the mouths of 



the rivers in Western Africa. 



165. Parra africana (Gm.) : Sharpe, Ibis, 1869, p. 388. 

 In iidand ponds and waters this pretty bird can almost 



always be observed. It prefers still reaches of river and quiet 

 waters covered with water-plants, over which it runs with 

 astonishing rapidity in search of prey. 



Its flight is slow and heavy ; and it never flies further than 

 across the river, or, if disturbed, to the nearest shelter. 



They are frequently to be observed in considerable num- 

 bers, and appear to be very sociable. 



166. Rallus oculeus (Temm.) : Sharpe, Ibis, 1869, p. 195. 

 This bird was brought to me from the interior by Aubinn. 



167. Nettapus madagascariensis (Gm.) : Hartl. p. 247. 



I believe that this bird is found on the Volta, as I once 

 noticed a small flock of very small Duck-like birds which ap- 

 peared to answer to its description, in the higher reaches of 

 the river. In the neighbourhood of Lagos, and in the lagoons 



