INTRODUCTION. 99 



tracts of humid and luxuriant vegetation diversified 

 with thick forests and flowering shrubs, capable of 

 producing animal and vegetable food for birds which 

 could only exist in such situations. 



On the chief peculiarities of Senegal ornithology, 

 in regard to the species and the natural groups to 

 which they belong, a few general observations only 

 can be hazarded. Some few of the very largest 

 sized birds, sent with the others to this country, 

 passed into other hands before we had inspected 

 them; and it is probable many other species, at 

 present unknown to us as natives of this part of 

 Africa, may be sent through the exertions of Lieu- 

 tenant Governor Kendall of our colony on the 

 Gambia. We must, therefore, confine our remarks 

 to the most prominent groups, without venturing 

 upon numerical details. 



In the rapacious order, independent of several of 

 the large eagles, &c. described by authors, and 

 which must chiefly live upon quadrupeds, we find 

 such a sufficient proportion of falcons which prey 

 upon small birds, as to justify the supposition that 

 the latter are more plentiful than would appear 

 from the species we yet know of; this confirms our 

 suspicion that we are yet ignorant of many of the 

 fly-catchers and warbles of this district, in which it 

 will be seen that our catalogue is very deficient. 

 Further confirmation of this belief will be found in 

 the number of shrikes, most of which live on the 

 nestlings or young of small birds, and upon their 

 eggs. The bush-shrikes are as numerous here as in 



