(484 ) 



2S. Emberiza striolata sahari T-ev. 



The distribution of this \)Tetty and tame litth- l)ird is ralhcr pecnliai-. in 

 Tunisia and Algeria it oceurs only sonth of the Atlas. In Eastern Al>reria, 

 coining from the north, we Had it first aronnd and in El Kantara, then 

 thronghoiit the [ilain of El Outaya to Biskra, and along the southern slo])es of 

 the Atlas in the Zibaii oases, snch as Chetma, Tolga, and doubtless many 

 others. .South of the oasis of Biskra, with its pabu gardens, this bird has not 

 been observed, but farther west it extends more to the sonth, being foniid 

 numerously in the M'zab country about (Jhardaia. Still farther to the west 

 its distributinn southwanls is of course unknown, the sontli of Morocco beyond 

 the Atlas being zoologically an absolute terra incognita; but there it is found 

 north of the Atlas, having been shot by Mr. Riggenba('h at Imintanout in the 

 S.W. Atlas, and two specimens near Mazagan, while it is common in Mogador, 

 where one of us saw it on the market place in 19itl. 



We have collected a good series in 190s and rJ09, at El Kantara and 

 Biskra, and in I'.'ll at Ghardaia. It would seem as if this species moulted its 

 body jdumage twice iu the year, for three of our specimens collected in Marcli 

 have part of their body plumage moulting, while October birds (from Morocco i 

 have evidently just iinished a moult. 



Fresli eggs were fouud at Ghardaia during the second half of April I'Jll. 



29. Rhamphocorys clot-bey Bj). 



In 19US these extraordinary Larks were frequently seen in troops near 

 Biskra, from January to the first week in March, and Mr. Steinbach shot 

 more tiian a dozen. After the first week in March he did not see specimens. 

 In 1909 a pair was shot alxiut two miles from Biskra on stony ground. It 

 was evidently on its nesting gronud, as the female had strongly enlarged eggs, 

 and would have laid in about eight days' time. The iris is dark cofFee-browii, 

 the bill whitish blue-grey with a blackish tip, feet dirty white. We saw several 

 in confinement in a game-dealer's shop, which had been captured two years 

 before. 



In 1011 we passed through the real home of h'/iamp/iocon/.-i. About five 

 kilometres south-west of Laghouat, on April in, a pair flew over our heads, 

 of which llilgert shot the male. 



Flying on the motor southwards toTilrherapt, we saw none, nor near Tilrheiujit, 

 to our disappointment. Going farther sonth, we saw the bird at Ain Seffra, and 

 about 18 kilometres north of Ghardaia, but having before us long distances to 

 traverse, and with the constant probaliility of a breakdown, we could not do more 

 than shoot a couple of specimens, one Rothschild, one Hartert, neither of us 

 having shot the species before. 



Our hojie was, to find the eggs near (Jhardaia, but we did not come across 

 the bird except from eight to fifteen kilometres eastwards, on the road to 

 Guerram. There we fouud two pairs, and saw one flying overhead, and spent many 

 hours iu vain in search of the valuable eggs, but whether the birds had not 

 yet laid (as seemed to be the case) or whether we had no luck, the coveted 

 j)rize was not obtained. A female shot north of Ghardaia on April 10 seemed 

 to have laid an egg, while the feniiile of one of the pairs east of that town, 

 whii'h wi' eventually shot, had the ovai'y but slightly enlarged. 



