38 
Birds of Gam bia 
Order. Allowing as little as twelve days for the incubation 
period, the young onel was only nine days old when it left the 
nest, fully leathered and able to fly strongly. I have no 
doubt that if the young one had not been disturbed it would 
have left the box either that afternoon or the following morn- 
ing — three weeks after the egg was laid. It was particularly 
strong on its legs, and wandered freely about the aviary, often 
running at a good speed. On October 19th I first saw it make 
attempts ',to pick up seed, and on the 25th it was eating hemp 
and .small earth worms. 
I am not able to give a detailed description of the 
plumage of the nestling, but it does not resemble that of either 
of its parents. The head and neck are darker and duller than 
in the female, the back and scapulas are deep chocolate, 
regularly barred with bright rufous brown. It is now (Decem- 
ber 4th) rapidly assuming the ruddy plumage of the adult 
male. 
Another clutch of eggs was laid in the same box later, 
but aftei' incubating them for a few days, the birds commenced 
to moult and deserted them. 
Birds of Gambia. 
By E. HoPKiNSON, D.S.O., M.A., M.B. 
(Continued from page 15). 
M. gahar. GABAK GOSHAWK. 
RoMffe. Tropical Africa. (H.L.) 
Another " Selingo," but a much smaller bird than the pre- 
ceding. Like it, it is gi'ey above and white cnoss-barred with 
a yellow gape ajid a deep red cere, the legs a waxy red. Ijcngth 
12 inches. The Gabar is a much more sluggish bird than are 
our other small grey Hawks, to some of which it shows a super- 
ficial resemblance. It seems to spend a great part of its time 
perched on the top' of some dead ti'ee, waiting apparently for its 
food (mice, reptiles, and large insects) to come its way. 
Astur sphetmrus. SENEGAL GOSHAWK. 
Range. North-east Africa. Sudan to Senegambia. (H.L) 
Thiese little Goshawks are very common in the Gambia, 
and are exceedingly bold and active birds and quite as danger- 
ous to the poultry-yard as any of our Hawks. I had one alive 
for some time, which had followed a dove into a cage -trap and 
actually begun to tear his victim even when he found himself 
imprisoned. Their proper Mandingo name is " Pirampiato " or 
