(514) 



Sonthern Atlas ranges, as it was not only found on the bare mountains near 

 Lambfese and on Djebel Chelia by Fluckiger, bat also in Morocco, in the 

 Western Atlas, at Tilula, Zarakten, and Seksawa by Messrs. Uodson and 

 IJiggenbach. 



Hartert and Hilgert made a special tour to Mount Mabmel on May 12, 19i)0. 

 Hartert wrote about this trip : 



" In the early morning we left Batna in a small automobile, picking up 

 an Arab guide, kindly siipi)lied by the authorities, at Laiubcse. At the foot of 

 Djebel Mabmel we found excellent mules with good saddles, and started at once 

 at a brisk pace up the mountain. At the beginning the road was good, bnt later 

 on it became very rough, and the crossing of several streams was not over 

 pleasant. However, all went well — only the guide's mule once stumbling in a 

 stream, without damage to itself or its rider — and after less than two hours' ride we 

 had left the lower regions behind. The vegetation was differeut, trees had ceased, 

 bushes were only seen in sheltered places ; the air became cooler, and the large 

 snow-patches above us looked very near. We were ou a sort of sloping [ilateau, 

 covered with short grass and other small plants, and with numerous stones and 

 boulders, here and there traversed by steep rocky ridges. Here, at a height of 

 abont 1700 metres, the first Oenanthe seehohni was seen by the guide, whom we 

 had instructed, but a torrent was between it and ourselves, and we did not 

 shoot it. At altitudes from about 1800 to almost 2000 metres the bird was quite 

 common, and it was not very difficult to obtain thirteen specimens. Indeed, we 

 could have collected even more, but I thought it would be wise to make use of the 

 opportunity, which might never occur again, to get also some of the other birds of 

 Djebel Mahmel, and we were quite satisfied with our series. 



" It was very beautiful on the heights of Djebel Mahmel, and the sun was 

 shining until noon, but afterwards it became cooler and cloudy, rain threatening. 

 No butterflies were seen, but a moth (a new form of Eurrantliix pJuiniittrarici) was 

 common just below 2000 m., not far from the summit, which consists of steep, wildly 

 torn rocks. Black Kites and Kestrels were common. Skylarks soared in the 

 air, belonging to Alaiula anensis harterti Whit. ; Tawny Pipits were not rare. 

 Monficola mxatilis was in full song not far below the top, and Diplootociis moussieri 

 was numerous on the lower slopes, though one was also seen at nearly 1000 m. 



" The song of Seebohm's Chat is short, somewhat harsh, though hardly 

 different from that of our Wheatear. No doubt eggs could easily be fouud on 

 Djebel Mahmel about the middle of May, but our time was too limited for a 

 thorough search, and it a])peared to be early. Mr. Whitaker sent a collector to 

 Djebel Mahmel with a view to obtaining nests and eggs of Saiicola oenanthe 

 seebohmi, but this man did not even come across the bird, though he professed 

 to have spent two days on the mountain. This appears to us (|aite impossible. 

 Every collector who has hitherto visited the mountain (Dixon, Koenig, Fliickigcr, 

 and ourselves) found the bird easily, and it is clear that Whitaker's man never 

 ascended the mountain itself, as he obtained only a clutch of Sajcicola hispnnica 

 with the female parent — and the latter sjjecies does not occur in the higher regions, 

 but is common down below, at 1000 to lloi) ft. or so 



" At 2 p.m. it became very cold, and we began to descend. We saw many 

 Kestrels and Black Kites, and at the foot, among oak trees, Goracias garruln, 

 Blackbirds, Uiplootocus mousKiej-i, and a Falco suhbiiten jiignrtha, which, however, 

 we were not able to shoot, A welcome meal was prepared for us by the Arabs — a 



