458 THE LAST JOURNAL OF W. A. FORBES. 



Amara; there used to be a station at former. Above it we passed 

 Mr. Watson in the ' Rosie ' launch with a large boat in tow. 



Aug. 30th. At Loko by 8. Went on shore shooting and again after 

 chop, getting back by 4. Got a lot of birds, including an Indicator, 

 Turtur, a Pogonias, Drymoeca, Ixos and young ?, Hypochera (common), 

 Criihagra, Estrelda phosnicotis, a fine Pytelia (one out of a lot in a tree), 

 a male Hyphantornis (? textor, male in non-breeding dress, the bird being 

 Ibis, 1883, common here), a black Pceoptera ?, a Muscicapine form, and others, also 

 p, 510. Euplectes franci^scanus, Spermestes cucullata, and Vidua princlpalis, as 

 also Passer simplex, the first and last in numbers ; also one Ciconia epis- 

 copus, a long-tailed Pigeon, a Woodpecker, &c. The country is flat, 

 with corn- (? G-uinea) fields and grassy lands, with 10- or 12-feet high 

 termite-hills of red clay, everywhere interspersed with small trees ; no 

 thick bush or big trees anywhere. The town is like other towns here, 

 surrounded by a mud wall, with regular gate of square shape, and bee- 

 hive-roofed circular huts, the entrance- gate with two facing doors, 

 enclosed in a palm or wicker fence. People (Mahometan) usually 

 clothed in white or blue cloth. King tributary to Sokoto. Some higher 

 land visible to south beyond left bank of river, here perhaps twice as 

 broad as the Thames at Westminster and with a strong current. Ivory 

 comes from Ademawa country, thirty days off. 



Aug. 31st. Left Loko about 9, and going down Binue rapidly reached 



Lukoja about 5. Saw a few Plectropterus on banks of river, and a pair 

 of Balearica. The Neophron very abundant at Loko. Took up our 

 quarters in old factory. 



Sept. 1st. Looking after things in factory, not much done. 

 Caught a Bat and a Gecko in house, the former escaped. Curious ants' 

 nest in mango-tree in factory compound, with the leaves all spun 

 together with abundance of silk. Got female and workers. Male much 

 smaller than latter. 



Sept. 2nd. In morning shot an Emberiza (tforbesi), a couple of male 

 Nectarinia pulchella, a Lagonosticta, and a Motacilla. Afterwards went 

 down to old factory and into bush on hill, catching a few butterflies &c. 



Ashbury photographed M and natives. Got some fish, three species 



a Clupeoid and a broad Cyprinoid, both with red fins, and a Percine 

 form. Native dance by men flowing garments, baggy trousers, and 

 tobes. Got an antelope's head from chief, shot here two days ago, 

 apparently Alcelaphus tora. 



Sept. 3rd. Out shooting in morning and got a new species, an Orty- 



gospiza, a Corythornis, an Elminia 1 ?, and a Platystira; also Estrelda 



Ibis, 1883, melpoda and the Saxicola. Saw Urolrachya macroura, same as already 



p. 511. s hot, with yellow interscapulars ; Nectarinia pulcliella quite common. 



A female antelope, bright yellow-brown colour, paler below, with black 



patches on fore legs, was brought in, apparently Cervicapra lohor. 



