EDITORIAL GLEANINGS. 399 



Lieut. Boyd Alexander lias contributed to the ' Daily Chronicle ' 

 an article on the Forests and Birds in Ashanti. While at Gambaga, 

 the headquarters of the Northern Territories, "good ornithological 

 work was done, and many important forms, including several rare 

 desert Larks, were obtained not only in the district, but to the north- 

 ward near the Anglo-French boundary, and also in the little-known 

 country around Salaga, which lies close to Togoland, where the 

 German officers have lately been doing much good scientific work. 

 The Ornis of the Hinterland varies considerably to that of the forest 

 region, but many of the same forms are still to be met with. The 

 birds on the whole are not nearly so bright in plumage ; the brilliant 

 Golden Oriole, however, is present, but the effects of its plumage lose 

 in the great expanse ; its colours need the subtle light and shade of 

 the forest to enhance their beauty. Many of the species obtained at 

 ■Gambaga are Senegambian, but, besides these, several forms from 

 Kordofan, Abyssinia, and Eastern Africa are represented. The fact, 

 of species in North-eastern Africa being found right away up in the 

 Gold Coast Hinterland is very remarkable, and makes it difficult, till 

 further investigation, to assign any sharply defined area for the distri- 

 bution of West African birds. The movements of birds depend to a 

 very great extent on the rainfall, which, in its turn, is influenced by 

 geographical features, such as forests, deserts, or mountains. The 

 courses of rivers must influence to a great extent the distribution of 

 species. This is readily noticed by observing the vicinity and banks 

 of African rivers, for there numbers of birds may be seen congregated 

 and continually moving up and down the courses. A glance at the 

 map will show what a network of watercourses there are from Sene- 

 gambia to the Nile. For instance, the Senegal is practically within 

 touch of the Niger, and the later with Lake Tchad ; and so on. 

 Furthermore, it must be remembered that tributaries, waterless 

 in the dry season, become during the rains swollen rivers, and 

 this is the period of the year when birds migrate. We know very 

 little about the avifauna in the great bend of the Niger, Haussa- 

 land, and nothing concerning the regions about Lake Tchad and 

 Darfur." 



In the Keport of the South African Museum for 1900, |ust received, 

 we much regret to read of the death of Col. J. H. Bowker, who died, 

 at the age of seventy-three, at his residence near Malvern, in Natal. 

 He was one of the oldest of South African naturalists, and since 

 1872 had constantly contributed to the Museum Collections ; he was 



