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The file includes eight small notebooks, containing a diary of the first African trip, 1963-1964, remarking on the work of Mary Richards and Desmond Vesey-Fitzgerald, detailed notes on the area of Rukwa, with ideas for chapters in Condry's forthcoming African book, Penny Condry's diary for the end of 1963, and camera notes, a typed itinerary for Condry's visit to East Africa in July 1967, brief notes on species seen and photographs required, bird lists, and loose notes on Arusha, describing its designation as a national park and the involvement of Desmond Vesey-Fitzgerald; Condry's diaries of his trip to Arusha, 1971, with a further diary in a different hand, possibly by Vesey-Fitzgerald, covering 1971-1974.

The file consists of a card index compiled following Condry's visits to Africa in 1963-4, 1967 and 1971, which included visits to Rukwa and Arusha. The entries for African birds include lists of birds spotted, individual descriptions of the birds, many with fuller notes on distribution and habits, and details of when and where seen, references to relevant literature, notes of photographs taken and occasional printed articles. A small section of the index comprises a bibliography, and the remainder covers climate, geology, history, land use, natural history and literary references, and includes occasional sketches, press cuttings and correspondence, 1966-1967, relating to reference sources, botany, slides and photographs.

The file comprises index cards in six sections, with Condry's titles (where given) in quotation marks: 'Birds Not Yet Seen', a list of African birds, giving the sizes, colours and habits of each; 'Gide and Music', brief biographical notes and press cuttings relating to the writer André Gide; 'Red Kite', notes on their history, literary sources, distribution, habits and distinguishing features; a slides index for a lecture on the natural history of Snowdonia, with a note by Condry, 'Not used for talk to students, Oct. '97'; travel, access to wild mountain areas and development of national parks; 'Writing Notes', ideas and descriptive phrases, bibliographic entries, quotations, spellings, vocabulary, writing techniques, notes on gardens, letter from H. R. H. ('Taff') Vaughan, 1976, and a subsection entitled 'Industry', but which appears to be a list of articles on various historical and wildlife topics.

The series consists of lists, notes, occasional sketches and correspondence concerning photographs and slides used to illustrate some of Condry's books, mainly Birds and Wild Africa.