Birds of Gambia. 
185 
Ranffe. Tropical and North-east Africa. (H.L.) 
These "birds are common everywliere in the Gambia. They 
nest in trees in the native villages, many nests to a tree, in company 
with Marabouts, Vultures, and Crows, but spend the days rishiiig in 
parlies on the. river, which they leave about sunset to letiirn 
iiome with full jxtuches in V-sli.iped flig^its. At night a nunu>ei" 
of nesting Pelicans make very noi.sy neighbours, for they are con- 
tinually (particuarly on moonlight nights) clashing their beaks, 
flapping their wings and keeping up a constant low but very annoy- 
ing whistling chorus, partly, I think vocal, and pai-tly by their 
swishing wings. Their general colour is white, pure and unmarked 
below, but flecked or washed with hrown over the greater part of 
the ujiper surface. The flights are black or dark brown, and tlie 
back, rump, flanks, and under tail-coverts are tinged with pinkish. 
The head bears a distinct occipital crest, the bill and legs are pale 
yellow, the pouch fleshy-pink. Occa.sionally one sees a single Pelican 
which looks much larger than our common species. This may be 
either P. onocrotalus or roseu.t, two closely allied species widely dis- 
tributed throughout Southern, Europ^' and A^ia, their range al o extend- 
ing' into Africa. 
Pelicans are wonderfully easily reconciled to captivity. Two 
which were sent home from here in 1902 are still alive and flourish- 
ing in the Zoo. 
Their native names are Kabbo in Mandingo, and Sorn and 
NjagaTbar in JolofT. 
LARID^. 
GULLS and TERNS are very numerous all along our coast, 
for some 50 miles up the river. Unfortunately my knowledge of 
this family is most meagre, so that I can only give the substance 
of a few notes I have made from time to time and a list of the 
different species whose range includes this part of the world, adding 
short notes on their differences in size, plumage, etc., which may 
aid some later observer of Gamlnan birds. For these I am indebted 
to many authorities, 'but particularly to the British Museum Catalogue 
and Stark and Sclater's Birds of South Africa. 
To commence with the Tern.s one recognises as quite common 
In Bathurst at least three kinds. The best place for observing 
them is the Oyster Creek Vidg'e, some three mile{5 out eddng the 
coast, for here any day when the tide is nearly full, one may see 
thousands of Terns folloM-ing for food the incoming tide. They wheel 
about with shrill cries a'bove the water into which at ' frequent 
intervals they dive, sometimes deeply, at others just to skim the 
surface and snatch up thence some attractive morsel. Many, too, 
take advantage of the rails of the bridge as Irlesting places, and' 
Jiere, as ttiey are wonderfully fearless, one has a good chance of 
notingi their colouration. The majority are small Terns with whit^ 
