12 
URBAN WILDLIFE 
Nairobi Garden 
Natural History 
Observations 
The Records of Arturo Foresti 
Edited by I, E. New ton 
/If* (fliiUniY hnnxitkii im/itswv 1 is> " VtwrV* 
The lute Arturo Foresti (1930-1999) 
came tti live in Kenya alter 
retirement trom his prolcssion js a 
lawyer in his native Italy. He lived 
mi Nairobi's Muilutga suburb for 
about ten years and developed lus 
property into a botanical garden, 
specialising in trees, succulent 
plants, bromeliads and orchids. He 
kept meticulous records lor each 
pljrit, especially indigenous Kenyan 
species that he had collected during 
his many held excursions. During liis 
terminal illness lie asked me to tjkc 
his plants alter his death, and hr gave 
me his card lilc database This 
database includes records of animals 
seen m the garden, ami it seems 
worthwhile placing on record what 
this enthusiast ic natural history 
observer had seen 
The database includes observations 
nude since January 1 988 Hach record 
includes some or all of the following: 
Family, scientific name, vernacular 
name, reference to literature used for 
identification, date of first 
observation, norrs Most observations 
were nude by Arturo, but some were 
lirst made (nbs i nr were confirmed 
(cunt.) by suitors, as indicated in 
sijiurc bucke ts alter the date, and 
one captured specimen was later 
identified tdet l by someone else The 
last entry in the card file was made 
in May 199" which was less than a 
year before Arturo became aware of 
his illness and starteJ on a course of 
mrdit.il treatment. 
I' ird Crow 
