1899.] AX EXPEDITION TO THE GAMMA. 931 



and marine subjects, as also in those of the tegumentary tissues and 

 appendages of birds, this method of colour-registration would be 

 of invaluable aid to the working artist, who having possession of a 

 correctly prepared transparency might utilize it at his leisure for 

 the elaboration of a finished painting. The successful application 

 of the same process to the duplication, as lantern-transparencies, of 

 coloured figures of zoological subjects had been demonstrated by 

 the example of the pictures of the Gouldiau Finches submitted 

 to the meeting. In a like manner, coloured illustrations from 

 other more rare and costly zoological works could be correctly 

 reproduced. 



The following papers were read : — 



1. General Account of an Expedition to the Gambia Colony 

 and Protectorate in 1898-99. By J. S. Budgett, 

 F.Z.S. 



[Eeceived November 28, 1899.] 



I propose to give a short general account of an expedition 

 recently made by me, under instructions from the Council of this 

 Society, to the river Gambia. This expedition had for its object 

 the general study of the vertebrate fauna of the Gambia, and 

 especially the investigation of the habits of I'rotojjterus and 

 PolyiJleras. 



The river Gambia lies between the 13t^h and 14th parallels of 

 North latitude. It flows due west through country which, lying 

 about 100 miles to the north of the etpiatorial forest-region, is 

 nowhere densely wooded but mostly covered with a somewhat 

 spai'se vegetation consisting largely of leguuiinous trees interspersed 

 with gigantic baobabs (Adansonia dUjitata), the African mahogany 

 {Kai/ct senej/alensis), figs and sycamores. 



Extensive open plains, which in the rainy season become flooded, 

 border this river along the greater part of its course, while at a 

 very variable distance from the river-bank low bills of dark red 

 conglomerate rise, often abruptly, anil occasionally in steep cliffs, 

 to form level plateaux, which in the upper river may be 200 feet 

 high. 



The river-bank itself is clothed throughout the year with a rich 

 luxuriant vegetation extending usually about 100 yards from the 

 water's edge. Though here the trees and creepers remain green 

 the year round, jet away from the river the trees lose their 

 foliage in the dry season as completely almost as our own trees in 

 winter. 



From the mouth of this river to the country just below Nianimaru, 

 the river is shut in by an almost impenetrable wall of mangroves, 

 sometimes 30 feet in height. Above this point the river, though 



