146 AN EXCURSION TO LUR. 



station. It contained a splendid sycamore, the thick foliage 

 of which harboured numerous creatures. Besides the birds 

 which were brooding there (Spermestes cucullatus and sweet- 

 voiced grosbeaks, Crithagra musica), tree snakes, often over 

 three feet in length, and up to eighteen inches in girth, 

 were crawling about, as well as chameleons. In the 

 enclosure, wagtails (Motacilla flava, var. griseocapilla, and M. 

 vidua) were singing persistently, and making war upon one 

 another. Adders were also numerous ; a specimen we caught 

 measured six feet in length and four inches in girth. All the 

 woodwork was covered with a species of blue-and-white-striped 

 Cerambyx. Several wounded males bore testimony to violent 

 encounters with one another. I caught numerous insects, 

 chiefly Lamellicornias, and Qryctes nasicornis, apparently a 

 cosmopolitan, was very common. In a series of pools close by 

 the river, scorpions were swimming about — Nectodonts, Dytis- 

 cus, and lower forms — but unfortunately, owing to the want 

 of preserving fluid, they had to be left where they were. 



The neighbouring wood yielded a rich collection of birds, 

 and many new specimens, as far as East Africa, at least, is 

 concerned, may be found amongst them. There too I 

 succeeded, to my great joy, in finding a colony of magnificent 

 Coryphegnathus albifrons, and I took its nest and eggs. Some 

 years this bird is common at Lado, as the many specimens 

 I have collected prove ; in other years it entirely disappears. 

 I also procured the nest and fledgelings of a barbet (Pogonor- 

 hynchus bidentatus) from a high tree, while swarms of weaver- 

 birds were absolutely innumerable, and five species enriched 

 my collection. 



An excursion to Kiroto took up several days without 

 yielding any zoological results, although some ethnological 

 objects were obtained. The first thunderstorm was recorded 

 on December 6th ; it was preceded by a strong S.S.W. wind ; 

 shortly before it broke over us the aneroid rose to 27.66 in. 



The arrival of a party of Waganda, who brought me 

 presents from King Mtesa and his prime minister, Katikiro, as 

 well as letters from them, from the Arabs, and from the French 

 and English missionaries residing in that country, was a very 

 pleasant diversion. As a funny incident, I may mention that, 



