1920.] Letters, E.vtracis, and Notes. ^2] 



and will make his licadquarters at Dakar. From this base 

 he hopes to visit the environs of Kayes on the Senegal 

 river. Birds from this loeality should prove of exceptional 

 interest, tlie majority of eollectors in the past having confined 

 their attentions to the country traversed hy the Dakar- 

 St. Louis railway. Mr, Bannerman expects to return to 

 ]*]ngland again some time in June. 



Captain Hubert Lynos, K.N., C.B., C.M.G., and Lieut. J. 

 C. L McCvonnel left J^^ngland on the 2J'th of December on 

 an expedition to the western part of the Anglo- Lgyptian 

 Sudan. They intend to proceed to El Fasher in Darfur, 

 and thence, if possible, to visit Jebel Marra and other parts 

 of the Anglo-French confines, studying the Ornitliology and 

 Natural History. Until 1916^ when the rebellious Sultan 

 of Dai'fur, Ali Dinar, was defeated by the British forces 

 near El Fasher, the huge province of Darfur was only known 

 to the civilised world from a few flying visits by Slatin Pasha 

 and others; the central Saharan highlands of Tibesti to the 

 noith-west of Darfur were visited by Nachtigal iji 18G9, his 

 journey occupying five y(;ars, and more recently between 

 19I.'i-ID17 by Commandant Tilho, but practically nothing 

 has been recorded of the'./atural History of these vast 

 tei-iitories. We are authorised to say that the Natural 

 History collections acquiied by the present expedition will 

 be presented to the British Museum (Nat. Hist.). As will 

 be seen from this resume of their plans. Captain Lynes and 

 Lieut. Me(Jonm.'l have embarked on an extremely enter- 

 prising expedition, the results of which should prove of very 

 great value. The i)rovinee of Darfur is a tej'ra iiicof/uita t(j 

 the Oinitliologist, and we look forward with special interest 

 to the ornithologieal results obtained, which should help 

 considerably to fill in a ga}) long felt by workers on 

 north African birds. We hope that if occasion [)ermits. 

 Captain Lynes will send us further news of his ad\'enturous 

 journey. 



SEU. XI. — VOL. II 



