1888.] ON BIRDS FROM EQUATORIAL AFRICA. 17 



It thus gives final and conclusive evidence that the western forest- 

 fauna extends right across the centre of Africa in this direction at 

 least as far as 28° east longitude, and slightly further to the north, 

 judging by the few specimens from Makraka, as far as 30° £. 

 This is, in fact, quite to the extreme limit of the Congo basin, the 

 watershed apparently here abruptly dividing the two faunas, the few 

 Wadelai and Lado specimens showing no trace whatever of any West- 

 African affinity. 



The abruptness with which the change of fauna occurs on the 

 watershed is, considering the insignificant nature of the pliysieal 

 barriers, very remarkable, and almost unequalled in the distribution 

 of the mammals of any part of the world. The reason of the 

 change is, however, clear enough, being not the occurrence of such 

 barriers to migration as mountains or rivers, but the abrupt ending 

 of the great West- African forest, which, as we know from the travels 

 of Schweinfurth and others, extends quite into this region, but 

 abruptly ceases before the slopes of the Upper Nile basin are 

 reached. 



Finally, I may express the hope that this valuable and interesting 

 collection may be succeeded by others from the same quarter, and 

 that I, or some more competent person, may have the opportunity 

 of drawing up a mammal-fauna of the Wadelai district itself, and of 

 further adding to our knowledge of the mammals inhabiting the 

 rich region tapped by Emin Pasha, whenever he crosses to the west 

 of the Congo-Nile watershed. 



2. On a Collectiou of Birds made by Emia Pasha in Equa- 

 torial Africa. By Captain G. E. Shelley, P.Z.S. 



[Received January 13, 1888.] 

 (Plate III.) 



It is several months since letters were received from Emin Pasha 

 announcing the despatch of some cases of natural-history specimens 

 from Wadelai, and their receipt has been a source of the greatest 

 satisfaction to the authorities of the British Museum, knowing the 

 troubles which have been going on in Uganda, by which route the 

 collections were to be despatched to Zanzibar. No slight appre- 

 hensions were entertained as to their detention in that country, and it 

 seemed almost hopeless to expect their safe arrival on the coast. That 

 they did so arrive is doubtless due to the exertions of the Rev. Mr. 

 Mackay, and he will surely receive the thanks of every naturalist for 

 the care with which he has managed to send the collection home. 



The birds now sent by Emin Pasha evidently belong to two cate- 

 gories. Many of them have been collected about the stations of 

 Lado and Wadelai, and most of these species have been described by 

 Dr. Hartlaub in one of the papers mentioned below. At the same 



Proc. Zool. Soc— 1888, No. II. 2 



