( 4Cn I 



palms iiiipcar tliat remain trees and do not vanish :inil luin tn little stnnred bushes, 

 but, takinsr shape, become a fine oasis. Thus one passes through Ourir, with a 

 hospitable and kind manager of the ('om])a<;nie snd-algerienne, and enters Mr.iir 

 or Jlraier, which means '• luirror." There is a little hotel kejit iiy an Alsacian, 

 who does what he can for the travellers. The next night we pitched camp at a 

 place called Nza beu lizig, near the'heliographic telegraph station of El Berd, 

 and a verv heavy sandstoriu made the night terrible. Every minute it seemed 

 certain that the tents would be blown down, and though they stood the storiu 

 excellently they suft'ered, especially Hartert's own small tent. The roar of the 

 wind, together with the banging of the canvas, the snorting and roaring of the 

 camels, which crowded round the tents, and the sand which penetrated every- 

 thing, luade slee]i im|iossible for the greater ])art of the night. 



The following day remained very windy, but fortunately the wind and sand 

 were at our back, so that we could make good progress all the same. 

 Oi'itaiithc /i/.^t/zK /licit Inxjirinirii was met with, evidently on passage to the north: 

 Swallows in nniubers, i'tilantlreUn hrndiiidni-hihi by thousands. In lljamina we 

 found again a little " hotel,'' where, however, the number of beds was very small, 

 so that two of us were invited by the Kaid of Ourlana to sleej) in his extensive 

 house, which was gladly accepted. The oasis is very tine and orderly. Tarttir 

 aenfigali'iixis aiu/i/ptiacnx was very numerous. Sparrows were in great nuiubers. 



On March lil we rode fifty kilometres to Touggonrt, mostly through uninter- 

 esting sebcha, but in the beginning through sandhill desert : and there Rothschild 

 shot our first (iuli'vithi thc/ilae deiclilri-i. of which we found no more until we 

 reached Kef el Dor again on the way back : liad we looked tor stimy jiatches 

 we miglit perhaj)s iiave seen some, but as it was we passed them by, maybe 

 i|uite close, for they are so wonderfully ada])ted to the soil that they are easily 

 overlooked if they do not happen to be on the wing or singing. Touggonrt 

 (PI. XIX., bottom) is a vast oasis, and actnally consists of a number of villages, 

 some i]uite far ajiart from the others. In the Enro])ean (pnuter is a garrison, 

 post and telegrapli office, a good luaiiy Jl'zabite and a few Euroj)ean slio])s and 

 an hotel. The oasis is rich in rather deej) ditches with water, in which a water- 

 beetle ( lli/droiii') and twd kinds of stuall fishes abonnd. .S{)arniws (see bevond) 

 are nuiuerons, 'I'urinr .•iriifijalensi.s aegi/jitiaciig and Scojis-owls are comiuon. 

 Of migrants Ofiiaiitlir oenatithe, Aiit/i/ix tricnilis and cam/irsf>-is, Jijnx toniniUn 

 torijuilld, MotiiriUii jiaiyi j/nfa and '■'/'//, Si/leiii i-iintiUu ns ruiitilliuix. ami 

 Swallows were often observeil. 



One day we made a most interesting excursion to Temacin and the Zaonia, 

 where a very great and far-famed Marabout resides, who insisted that we should 

 have luncheon in his house, and where we ate the best couscous we ever tasted, 

 and strange Arab sweets. 



Ou A\m\ 4 we left Touggonrt, travelliijg ea.stwards in the direction of J']l Oned. 

 Even so late in the year it was cold in the morning, the thermometer only showing 

 8° (.'. After leaving the oasis and passing through low ground with an extensive 

 sheet of water to the imrth, we soon entered the sand-region, and dimes w(!re 

 encountered after some iiours. In the nmrning it was windy, but alter twelve 

 o'clock it l>ecame i|nite calm. 



It is dilHcnlt or impossible to describe the simple beauty of the rich udluw 

 sandhills, willi the scantiest vegetation in the valleys, the sjiotless bliu' sky 

 overhead, and the great quiet, here and there interrnjrted by the wonderful melan- 



