Birds of Gambia. 
269 
pale green patch or black crescoiitic tioundary line on the sides 
of 'the neck, the green and cinnamon freckling' of the lower hind 
neck and upper tail-coverts is more notioeable. 
" Iris dark brown, almost black; bill dusky yellowish, shad- 
ing to almost black at the tip; lower mandible livid; legjs bluish- 
black; dimensions about the same as the male." 
All the birds I have shot have agreed with these descrip- 
tions exactly, except that in nearly all, the dis(tal portions of the- 
metallic upper tail -coverts were dull chestnut-brown. 
Dendroc7jcna vUu^ta. WHISTLING DUCK. 
ilange. Ti'opical South America, West Indies, Tropical Af- 
rica. (H.L.). 
D. fnli-n. LARGE WHISTLING DUCK. 
Range. America, Tropical Africa, Madagascar, India, Bur- 
ma. (H.L.). 
These two Whistling Ducks, both brown birds rather smaller 
than a Mallard, and slimmer and longer in the neck and leg than 
that bird, are both common in the Gambia, lespecially during thei 
rains. At the commencement of this season flocks of thousands are 
to (be met with both on the river and on the newly-sowm rice-fields, 
where they can do untold havoc in a very short time. Their num- 
bers at this season may be gaugea from a tale which a former 
Master of the Government steamer used to tell. Once when coming 
down the river he ran into an immense flock of these ducks swim- 
ming on the water; they absolutely refused to move or get out of 
the steamer's way, and were packed so tightly .that their bodies event- 
ually clogged the paddles and brought the boat to a ^3it,ands:till until 
the corpses could be removed. So numerous, he used to add, were 
these, that they fed the crew and all the passengers for two days. 
We have all seen these Ducks in huge flocks on the water or flying 
over, but no one else has happened to come across theln under 
such striking circumstances as those just mentioned, nor found them 
guilty of such holocaustic self-immolation. 
During- the rains they are sspread all over the country but 
'during the dry sea.son, when their numbers are also much reduced, 
they are confined to certain parts of the river and to those swamps 
where large pieces of water remain throughout the year. Both their 
English and their Latin names fit them well, for on the one hand 
their call, a long shrill whistle is the first thingj which attracts onie'<s, 
attention as they approach, while on the other hand they frequently 
perch on trees amd can alight on a branch quite 'esasily considering 
their webbed feet. Their flesh is excellent eating. 
Chenahper aegi/pliacus. EGYPTIAN GOOSE. 
Range. Tropical Africa to Egypt and Palestine. (H.L.) 
Spatula ch/peafa. SHOVELLER DUCK. 
Range. Nciarly cosmopolitan. (H.L.) 
The range of these two well known Ducks includes our 
Colony, but I have never yet met with ^hem here. 
