724 Mr. W. R. Ogilvie-Grant : Boyd Alexander 



this expedition he was accompanied by Jose Lopez his 

 Portuguese collector, who had returned with him as a boy 

 from the Cape Verde Islands, and who remained his faithful 

 adherent during all his subsequent wanderings in Africa. 

 As the relief-column advanced on Kumassi, Jose slowly 

 followed behind and formed excellent collections of birds at 

 each station on the lines of communication. After a three 

 hours' fight the Ashantis were driven into the forest and the 

 column entered the beleaguered fort. 



An amusing incident shewing how Alexander's passion for 

 ornithology dominated all other interests was related to the 

 writer by one of the other officers who accompanied the 

 column. Shortly after the occupation of Kumassi, Boyd 

 being nowhere to be found, General Sir James Willcocks 

 instituted a search for him and eventually he and Jose were 

 discovered in their tent outside the fort, though the sur- 

 rounding forest was still swarming with hostile Ashantis. 

 On being asked to explain his reason for running such risks, 

 he said that if he remained in the lent he was sure to be called 

 on for duty, whereas in his present camp he was less likely 

 to be disturbed and had excellent opportunities for increasing 

 his bird-collection ! On leaving Kumassi he was sent with a 

 column of Haussas to Gambaga, the headquarters of the 

 northern territories, and there he met with many interesting 

 forms of bird-life, including several rare Desert Larks, such 

 as Heliocorys modesta and Mirafra erythropygia. 



On leaving Gambaga in May 1901 he trekked to Salaga 

 and thence on to the River Volta, finally reaching the 

 coast at Accra. An account of the fine collection of birds 

 formed during this Expedition, numbering nearly 1100 

 specimens, will be found in 'The Ibis/ 1902, pp. 278-333 

 and 355-377. Several species proved to be new to science, 

 including a Honey-Guide {Indicator willcocksi) which was 

 named in honour of General Sir James Willcocks, while 

 many of the other specimens obtained enabled the author 

 to add considerably to our knowledge of the geographical 

 distribution of the birds in this little-known area. 



On his return to England Alexander was offered and 



