98 INTRODUCTION. 



desert tracts ; such as the genera Saxicola, Alauda, 

 Otis, PerdioC) Pterocles, &c. most of which occupy 

 a much larger proportion in the ornithology of 

 Southern, than they appear to do in that of Western 

 Africa. The rollers and bee-eaters live entirely upon 

 insects, and are only to he found in the skirts of 

 thick woods ; not one of these is found in the arid 

 districts of the Cape colony, while from Senegal it 

 will be seen that we now describe no less than five 

 species of the latter and three of the former. 



The family of the cuckoos, again, chiefly live 

 among high forest trees; for even the European 

 species is very seldom met with in districts covered 

 only with low shrubs or hedges. Hence it is, that 

 the birds of this group, inhabiting Southern Africa, 

 are only found in the thick forests towards Algoa 

 Bay, and in a few other well- wooded situations ; six 

 species, however, have been received from Senegal, 

 two of which belong to the splendid shining group 

 of Calcytes, met with by Le Yaillant in the forests 

 just mentioned. The scansorial tribe, as every one 

 knows, is strictly arboreal ; and of these we possess 

 eight species. The splendid sun -birds (Cmnyres) 

 derive their sustenance from the nectar of flowers, 

 and probably from the minute insects found therein ; 

 now of this single group we shall describe no less 

 than eight species, some of which (from the number 

 of specimens sent) must be very common. These 

 facts are sufficient to show, that however arid and 

 treeless may be the interior districts of Western 

 Africa, yet that in Senegal there must be many 



