Ornitholcyy of the Gambia. 217 



MOTACILLA MELANOPE. 



A rare visitant to the Gambia. 



Pycnonotus ashantkus. 



Not a day passed without my both seeing and hcai'ing this 

 bird. He is a songster o£ very tolerable power ; his call- 

 note has gained him the sobriquet of the ''' Fifty-three " 

 bird. It is difficult to ignore him, as from dawn to sunset 

 he is always reminding you of that particular number ! He 

 is almost as bold and mischievous as a London Sparrow. 

 Though so common, his nest is extremely hard to find. One 

 had strips of Morse-telegraph paper woven into its structure ; 

 its usual materials are the pendent rootlets of the Ficus, among 

 which is placed its slight cup-shaped abode. It lays from three 

 to five eggs, varying in the same clutch from reddish to 

 chocolate blotches on a white ground-colour. 



Criniger barbatus. 

 Not common. 



Oriolus auratus. 



Common on the mainland all the year round ; occasional 

 stragglers seen on the island. 



Mel^nornis edolioides. 



LaNIUS AURICULATUS. 



Lanius rutilans. 



Two shot at Bai-ra, 20th December, 1889. 



NiLAUS AFEB. 



The only one seen. 



CORVINELLA CORVINA. 



Two were shot at Barra. 



Telephonus senegalus. 



This species is the commonest Shrike seen on the Gambia. 

 It is a powerful songster, though it can seldom be seen 

 whilst singing, as it resorts to the thickest coverts. Its song, 

 which though short is veiy tuneful, is uttered in the air like 

 that of the Tree-Pipit. 



