Ow the Ornithology of the Gambia. 215 



XV. — Notes on the Ornithology of the Gambia. 

 By Pekcy Kendall, M.D., F.Z.S. 



During a residence of twenty-one months I obtained speci- 

 mens of the birds enumerated in the following list, within 

 an eight-mile radius of Bathurst, on the Gambia. The town is 

 situated on the island of St. Mary — a narrow tongue-shaped 

 delta, which lies parallel to, and is bounded on the north by, 

 the river, and on the south by tidal mangrove-swamps. It 

 is about five miles long, but in no place is it more than one 

 mile in breadth. A shell-road, which crosses numerous 

 mangrove-swamps and creeks, connects it Avith the mainland 

 of British Combo. The river Gambia, opposite Bathurst, is 

 two miles across, though much broader both above and below 

 the town. The district on the north bank of the mainland 

 is locally known as Barra. 



The birds were for tlie most \mvi migrants, and were more 

 plentiful during the rainy season, which lasts from June to 

 October. 



Mimosa trees, scattered palms (both cocoanut and cabbage 

 varieties), dense and thorny undergrowth, with numberless 

 grasses and creepers in the wet season, formed the main 

 cover or '' bush.'^ 



For the nomenclature and classification of my collection I 

 am exclusively indebted to Canon Tristram. Most of these 

 birds are in his cabinet ; and it was due in great part to his 

 suggestions and encouragement that I persevered, notwith- 

 standing the many drawbacks incident to the pursuit of 

 ornithology in West Africa. 



TURDUS PELIOS. 



One only obtained. 



Crateropus platycercus. 



This species is a very close sitter. It builds a slight strong 

 cup-shaped nest of small thorny mimosa-twigs, about ten 

 feet above the ground, and lays three eggs, which are similar 

 to those of our Starling, though not quite so pale, and some- 

 what smaller. 



