523 The last Journal of W. A. Forbes. 



along creek, a couple of Merops (very common all along 

 lower part), as well as a couple of the orange-winged Bats. 

 All the wing-membranes are cadmium-yellow ; the muzzle, 

 nose-leaf, and ears light orange-yellow (diaphanous) ; fur 

 yellowish grey. Saw also Ceryle maxima, the Greenshank 

 of Egga, the small grey Heron, and apparently also Ardea 

 purpurea, or perhaps young A. goliath. A good-sized 

 Monitor tumbled off a tree into the boat, but got away. 



Nov. 6th. Appetite still good. Went out in evening 

 down creek. Shot a Peristera afra and Halcyon cinereifrons 

 or dry as (upper mandible scarlet, blackish at apex; lower 

 black, shaded with red ; feet red ; iris brown), a Merops, 

 Schizorhis, Hyphantornis persona tus (in change), and a 

 Swallow of the species so common at Lukoja. Saw Ceryle 

 maxima again, and the Monitor in the same place ; also saw 

 plenty of Merops nubicus and M. castus. 



Nov. 7th. Spent day as usual. In evening went down 

 other branch of creek. Got three birds — Halcyon senega- 

 lensis, Corythornis ctBruleocepliala, and CEdicnemus, the latter 

 being what we had taken for young of Hoplopterus. Saw 

 also a Heron (size of Ardea cinerea) with yellow legs and 

 beak, in brown striated plumage; nearly sure it is Ardea 

 purpurea, jr. In creek saw several Ceryle gigantea, but 

 could not shoot one ; also lots of Plotus. Young Merops 

 nubicus was in thousands, in great swarms high in air, flying 

 over the fields, and in forties and fifties on the trees ; mixed 

 with it a good number of M. castus. Got a shot at a pair of 

 Ibis, but missed. Also saw an Eagle, aj)parently a young 

 Spizaetus occipitalis. Plenty of Merops erythropterus, Eu- 

 plectes ignicolor, &c. 



Nov. 8th. Skinned birds in morning, and filed down brass 

 cartridges to fit shot-gun. No canoe to be had in evening; 

 so did not go out at all. Not so well, with no appetite and 

 some fever (? in consequence). Took a strong dose of quinine, 

 and slept better. Comet still visible in east by a little south, 

 higher than it was at Rabba. Canoe arrived at last from Egga, 

 with stores and gin. 



Nov. 9th. All right again. Packed up and soldered 



