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Show 1899.] AN EXPEDITION TO THE GAMBIA. 93l and marine subjects, as also in those of the tegumentary tissues appendages of birds, this method of colour-registration would be of invaluable aid to the working artist, who having possession of a correctly prepared transparency might utilize it at his leisure for the elaboration of a finished painting. The successful application of the same process to the duplication, as lantern-transparencies, of coloured figures of zoological subjects had been demonstrated by the example of the pictures of the Gouldiau Finches submitted to the meeting. In a like manner, coloured illustrations from other more rare and costly zoological works could be correctly reproduced. The following papers were read : - 1. General Account of an Expedition to the Gambia Colony and Protectorate in 1898-99. By J. S. B U D G E T T, F.Z.S. [Received November 28, 1899.] I propose to give a short general account of an expedition recently made by me, under instructions from the Couucil of this Society, to the river Gambia. Tbis expedition had for its object the general study of the vertebrate fauna of the Gambia, and especially the investigation of the habits of Protopterus aud Polypterus. The river Gambia lies between the 13th and 14th parallels of North latitude. It flows due west through country which, lying about 100 miles to the north of the equatorial forest-region, is nowhere densely wooded but mostly covered with a somewhat sparse vegetation consisting largely of leguminous trees interspersed with gigantic baobabs (Adansonia digitata), the African mahogany (Kaya senegalensis), figs and sycamores. Extensive open plains, which in the rainy season become flooded, border this river along the greater part of its course, while at a very variable distance from the river-bank low hills of dark red conglomerate rise, often abruptly, and occasionally in steep cliffs, to form level plateaux, which in the upper river may be 200 feet high. The river-bank itself is clothed throughout the year with a rich luxuriant vegetation extending usually about 100 yards from tbe water's edge. Though here the trees and creepers remain green the year round, yet away from the river the trees lose their foliao-e in the dry season as completely almost as our own trees in winter. From the mouth of this river to the country just below Nianimaru, the river is shut in by an almost impenetrable wall of mangroves, sometimes 30 feet in height. Above this point the river, though |