456 THE LAST JOURNAL OF W. A. FORBES. 



(nests purse -like, not pensile, strangely), mixed up with a smaller black- 

 fronted species, and a Orithagra chrysopyga, which is not at all rare (in 

 twos and threes) and has rather a pretty song. D. Macintosh on the 

 * Pulah/ with the ' Jessie ' in tow, turned up on return ; and about 12 

 we started off up the river for Lukoja on board the ' Fulah.' Passed 

 Onitschi, the town quite invisible from the river, and Asaba, and had 

 shots at some Hippopotami on way. 



Aug. 24th. Met the ' Busybody/ with Mr. Ashcroft on board, about 

 8. He was fixing up a new station, and had been collecting birds for 

 me, amongst them two Glareola cinerea, which he gave me. The banks 

 here are about 15 feet high, nearly vertical, of a compact reddish-yellow 

 or grey loam, not obviously stratified ; in other parts only sections of 

 recent sand-banks are seen. Saw a large flock of Psittacus, some Horn- 

 bills (? Berenicornis or Buceros elatus\ some Plectropterus, Ardea, &c. 

 Banks thickly wooded with pretty dense, but not big, forest, with but 

 few big trees or llianas. Heard some leopards miauling in bush at 

 night. 



Aug. 25th. Up to Idda about 9, a large town on left bank of river on 

 a high bluff, with vertical cliffs towards river, perhaps 120 to 150 feet 

 high, apparently of an unaltered sandstone of a red colour, laminated or 

 stratified in places, with contemporaneous veins (?) running nearly 

 horizontally. Saw a number of white Egrets and Plotus on a high tree. 

 Towards noon got in amongst the high country, with flat -topped hills, 

 apparently remains of a continuous tableland. 



Aug. 26th. Amongst the hills still, just below Beaufort Island, appa- 

 rently of a much jointed compact yellowish sandstone, weathering out 

 into large boulders. Some of the hills conical and nearly isolated, others 

 flat-topped ; Mount d'Or, one of the highest, rounded. Saw apparently 

 a couple of Chenalopex on a sand-bank, also some Hornbills. Lukoja 

 mountain, long, low, and flat- topped, to left of river, ascending. Saw a 

 couple of Balearica on a bank, here called crown-birds. The country 

 here, above Beaufort Island, seems to fall away and become less hilly 

 Ibis, 1883, and flatter, the hills running transversely across the river on both banks. 

 p. 508. Q_ O ^ o ij U k j aj passing Tybebe on left bank just before, about noon, and 

 left again in an hour's time for Magagi, the country above Lukoja being 

 a high tableland, coming down to river by steep inclines, more or less 

 wooded. Got to Magagi by dark. 



S. Aug. 27th. At Magagi, discharging and loading cargo, with some 

 difficulty in getting alongside, the water being shoal. Went on shore ; 

 but though I saw lots of birds, shot vilely, losing or missing all but a 

 Platystira (eye- wattle vermilion, tarsal planta pseudo-mesomyodian, but 

 syrinx oscinine). A Toccus rather common ; and also saw from steamer 

 a Berenicornis, with head and tail, except two median rectrices, white. 

 Saw lots of Euplectes franciscanus, Sperme-stes cucullata, the Ixos, a 



