BIRDS OF WESTERN AFRICA. 
COLLECTIONS OF L. FRASER, Esa. 

Mr. Lewis Fraser, well known to Naturalists as the Zoologist to 
the Niger Expedition, and as the author of the “ Zoologia Typica,” 
was lately appointed Her Majesty’s British Consul at Whyddah, 
on the West Coast of Africa, and has already devoted part of the 
time he can spare from his official duties, to examine the zoology of 
that fatal coast and its islands; a small collection has reached his 
friend and agent, Hugh Cumming, Esq. of Gower Street, Bedford 
Square, London, while the last mail brought us a letter from Mr. 
Fraser himself, intimating its destination. Mr. Cumming has for- 
warded the greater portion of the collection for our examination, 
and after the numerous notices on West African Ornithology which 
have appeared in these “ Contributions,” we need scarcely say, that 
it has been received and examined with great interest. Although 
there are numerous specimens, between eighty and ninety in number, 
there are only about eighteen species. Of these, with the exception 
of Nectariniew nearly the whole are described, being from a compa- 
ratively well known locality, the vicinity of Clarence, in the island 
of Fernando Po. 
The Nectarinie form the most numerous part of the collection. 
Five species occur among them. There are several specimens of 
N. chloropygia, Jard., which do not vary from those originally pro- 
cured by Dr. Stanger and Mr. Fraser during the Niger expedition. 
Of N. obscura there is a single specimen. 
Specimens of a small bird, allied to NV. collaris, Vieill., require our 
attention. Mr. Edward Wilson, to whose kindness we have been so 
frequently indebted for interesting subjects of illustration, previous 
to the departure of Mon. Bourcier for Quito, purchased that gentle- 
man’s collection of Nectariniw.* Mon. Verreaux, the Parisian dealer, 
* We regret to add, that the whole of this valuable collection, except one or two 
specimens we had retained, was lost on their passage to America. 
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