1888.1 FKOM EQUATORIAL AFRICA. 19 



of the work ; but I trust we may not have long to wait before 

 an accurate map of the little-known district may be published 

 under the auspices of Eniin Pasha, who we all hope will soon 

 return safely to Europe after the arduous and important duties 

 he has so ably performed during many years in the Upper White 

 Nile district. 

 In my present list I have followed, as closely as I considered ad- 

 visable, the order of the species adopted by Dr. Hartlaub, and have 

 given references, not only to all the above-mentioned papers, but 

 also to Mr. R. B. Sharpe's "Notes on a Collection of Birds made by 

 Herr F. Bohndorff in the Bahr el Gazel Province and the Nyam-nyam 

 Country in Equatorial Africa," published in the Linnean Society's 

 Journal (Zool.), xvii. 1884, pp. 419-441. I have also thought it 

 advisable to give what I have considered to be the most important 

 references for the identification of each species. 



I should like, in conclusion, to state that this collection has been 

 entirely worked out in the Bird-room of the Natural History Museum, 

 where I have found every convenience for regular study, with the 

 finest collection in the world before me, which, owing to Mr. Bawdier 

 Sharpe's untiring energy, is now as accessible for work as auy small 

 private collection, with this further advantage, that very few species 

 are wanting, and generally a good series of specimens is available. I 

 trust that these remarks may not lead to an overwhelming influx of 

 ornithological students to the bird-room, for Mr. Sharpe's sake ; but 

 even tlien I believe that his courtesy would be equal to the task, as 

 I presume that there is nothing which would please him more than 

 to find the British Museum the centre of all ornithological study, as 

 it ought to have been years ago, and as it most certainly was not in 

 former days. 



Emin Pasha's consignment consists of two very distinct collections : 

 one from what I shall call the Wadelai district, including Lado, 

 Redjaf, Kiri, Tobbo, Wadelai, and Kiberi, comprised within the 

 limits of 2° and 5° N. lat., and 31° and SS'' E. long ; the other 

 is from the Tingasi district, including Bellima, Tomaja, and Tiugasi, 

 extending westward of 31°, and comprising portion of the Monbuttu 

 country. 



Comparing these two collections we find : — 



Wadelai collection : — 114 species, 10 local, 1 W.-African, 27 N.E.- 

 African, 6 E. -African. 



Tingasi collection :^43 species, 3 local, 27 W.-African, none N.E.- 

 African, none E.-African. 



From the above it is evident that the Wadelai district belongs to 

 the great N. E.-African or Abyssinian Region, and the Tingasi dis- 

 trict to the W.-African Region ; and on regarding the close proxi- 

 mity of these districts, the fact of the fauna of a continent following 

 its great watersheds and forests is strikingly exhibited, and the pre- 

 sence of an almost impassable barrier is suggested. Thus physical 

 geography and ornitholugy lend each other a friendly hand in the 

 elucidation of scientific problems. 



2* 



