Some grassfinches and other Gambian birds. 55


After this my luck with Pennants again waned. Two of the

young birds died, others wandered and the old pair failed to rear

their second brood. During the winter the old hen managed to enter

a building where she either starved to death or killed herself by

flying against a window and the cock and a young hen are the

only survivors. They have been occupying the same barrel under

the roof, and if they should succeed in rearing their young it will

be interesting' to see whether they are red or green on leaving the

nest.


SOME FIREFINCHES AND OTHER

GAMBIAN BIRDS.


By Dr. E. Hopkinson.


This year I had the opportunity and the luck to catch and

get home quite a number of interesting African birds, such as quail

finches and two of the rarer firefinches ( L. rufopicta and vinacea ),

These have revived an interest I have always felt, and have provided

material for the following notes on them and some other Gambian

birds. These with stray recollections and reflections, which crop up

as I write, may be of interest to readers of the magazine.


The Spotted or Bar-breasted Firefinch.


Lagonosticta rufopicta.


This beautiful little firefinch, so rarely imported, except as an

occasional odd one among a consignment of ordinary “ senegals ” I

have always considered nearly as rare in nature in the Gambia,

though in other parts of the West Coast it must be common;

Shelley describing it as “extremely abundant during the spring”

on the Gold Coast, and giving its range as “ Senegambia to the

Niger and Upper Nile Districts.”


In the Gambia, too, longer experience has made me alter my

opinion as to its rarity there. It is so very local in its haunts

that for years I looked upon it as rare, never having seen more than

a dozen individuals, as until recently I had never happened on to

one of the sites it affects. Now I realise that in places, few and

far between it is true, it is quite common, as this year I have found

one locality, where it is quite numerous and almost the only waxbill



