( 519 ) 



0. Ifucura, but this was possibly due to the season, as all the leucop>/ga had 

 alread}- yoniig ones in their nests. It is curious that of the paired pairs we saw 

 iiiul obtained, lioth sexes had either black or white crowns, an observation already 

 made by Professor Koenig : we did not, however, shoot many s[iecimens, as most 

 of them had young and we could not bring ourselves to kill many at that time. 

 The young is like the old bird. The nests we found in clefts and crevices on walls 

 surrounding cemeteries and down in the walls of wells, often in the middle of the 

 town of Glhardaia, (juite close to human dwellings. 



We found a dried-up egg in an old nest of last year, which was pale blue, 

 nearly white, with a few rufous si)ots. When we were at Ghardaia, April 10 to 24, 

 all these birds had young ones, still naked, with the feathers beginning to sprout. 

 The number of young in three nests was in every case three. Three, and 

 probably sometimes four, is therefore the number of a clutch of 0. leiicopijga. 



111. Saxicola torquata rubicola (L.)* 



{Pi-atiiicohi, rubicola anct.) 



We met with Stonechats at Biskra in March and February, and saw them 

 not unfreiinently at Hammam Meskoatine in February. During the breeding 

 season we found them by no means common, only observing some in the plain of 

 Metidja, and near Bone, from the antomol)ile. 



112. Saxicola rubetra spatzi (ErI.) 



Pralhirnla riilietrii s/ja^sf Erlanger, Joiirn. f. Orii. 1900 p. 101 (Tunisia); Hartort, Viifj. jml. Fauna 

 i. p. 703. 



We obtained Whinchats near Biskra and Ghardaia in April (6 to 2.'>), but 

 never saw one during the breeding season, in May or June. 



The five specimens we obtained are all ratlier pale, and should belong to 

 <S'. ;■. spatzi, though it must be said that the latter is not easily recognised, some 

 North and Central European specimens being just as pale as undoubted spatzi. 



113. Phoenicurus ochrurus gibraltariensis (Gm.). 

 {Phoenicurus tithys auct. errore !) 



The Black Redstart winters in Algeria, where we saw it in February and 

 March at El Kantara, and near Biskra. 



It is evident that the species does not breed in Algeria, or we should have 

 found it in one of the many eminently suitable places in the north. 



114. Phoenicurus phoenicurus phoenicurus (L.) 



Common on migration in Algeria, frequently met with from El Kantara to 

 Touggonrt, during the last week in March, and on April 6 and 10, at Laghouat. 



115. Phoenicurus phoenicurus algeriensis (Kleinschm.) 



This form has been discussed by Hartert, \'o(f. pal. Fnuuu i. p. 719. We 

 found it on its breeding-ground in tlie oak-woods above Lambese, but were so 



• Tlie name I'niliiicula is preoccupieil, having been used for tbe rralincoles ((flanula). The 

 correct generic name for tlie Wliincbats and Stonecliats is Saxicola; of. Mathews, ^',n'. Zmil. 11)11. p. 21. 



