THE LAST JOURNAL OF W. A. FORBES. 477 



Dec. 25th. CHRISTMAS DAT. Out shooting in morning, but got little, 

 though I saw several nice things an Oriole, grey CampepTiaga (?), a 

 single Pterocles, Toccus pcecilorhynchus (several), &c. &c. A small flock 

 of Schizorhis in palm-groves ; they have a loud call-note, rapidly repeated, 

 " cow-cow-cow " &c., and when sitting sometimes raise tail till quite 

 vertical over body. Bag : one Turclus pelios (shot hopping on ground 

 amongst burnt bush) and one Drymceca. Got a Diodon (or Tetrodon) 

 from a native woman ground-colour olive- black; chin and belly nearly 

 whitish, shading off above into yellow ; several long stripes pale yellow Ibis, 1883, 

 dorsally, getting deeper ventrally, and below level of caudal fin getting P* ^' 

 chrome-yellow of flanks and vent, round latter of which the colour is 

 brightest ; dorsal fin yellowish ; caudal fin olive-green for basal half, 

 rest bright yellow ; pupil yellow, with a red ring round it. This speci- 

 men was rather dry when brought ; the colours are much brighter where 

 skin has kept moist by being covered by the fins. In its stomach were 

 remains of a small Anodon or Unio, which also forms food for the Cyclan- 

 osteus. The fish is well known to natives, and it is said to be common. 

 They do not " chop " it, but make drums of its skins. Greenshields 

 caught, almost uninjured, a small snake in factory-yard, and brought it 

 in alive; apparently allied to Tropidonotus. In evening down creek; 

 got a new Flycatcher and a second specimen of Tern with reddish beak, 

 perched on high grass amongst reeds. Saw also a MusopJiaga violacea in 

 big trees, but could not get a shot at it ; a second specimen of the big 

 Scotopelia, which I missed twice ; and a third time got a missfire at 

 several Platystira, a couple of female Tchitrea, Scopus, &c. &c. 



Dec. 26th. BOXING DAT. Intended to have gone out photographing 

 in morning ; but the fall was out of order, and it took some time to set 

 it right. Got a couple of small fishes in afternoon one new, one of the 

 red-spotted barbel. Went down creek in evening, but got nothing and 

 saw little two or three Laniarius, a Malaconotus, &c. The canoe-men 

 saw and caught for me a chain seleon which was on a small tree overhanging 

 river ; it is apparently Chamceleon senegalensis. Saw also a snake 

 swimming across creek ; but it just escaped : apparently a Tropidonotus 

 with a row of dark brown spots down back. 



Dec. 27th. Seedy from diarrho3a in morning and did not go out, 

 having slept badly. Went down second branch of creek in evening, but 

 got nothing, not even firing my gun. Got two fishes, one new, a large 

 Gadoid-like Acanthopteron, which Greenshields says is the species that 

 grows to be the biggest fish in this river. 



Dec. 28th. Still ill, having had another wretched night. Stayed in ibis, 1883, 

 house all day. Greenshields shot a second Lanius rutilans for me from P- ^' 

 bush opposite factory. 



Dec. 29th. Not much better, the diarrhoea (or dysentery) continuing. 

 Women brought in a small laud-tortoise, with movable carapace (Cinixys); 



