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The nests were found well hidden in desert bushes. The}' contained three 

 eggs on April 19 and 2U. The nests were always longitudinal, not so round 

 as figured by Koenig, and they were lined with quantities of feathers of Pterocles 

 alchata, Houbara, and other birds. 



The six eggs we took measure 15 x 11-5, 15-8 x 11-6, 16 x 11-7, 10-2 x 11", 

 1(5 X 11-4, and 16-4 x 11 9 mm. 



On April 2i) a nest with naked young, and young being led by their parents 

 were seen. 



The adult bird has the iris pale greenish yellow or sulphnr-yellow, feet light 

 orange-lirown or reddish brown (by no means pale yellow !), bill greyish brown 

 or brown, lower mandible, except tip, flesh-colour. The young birds have the 

 ins pale greyish blue, feet flesh-colour, tarsi reddish, bill fleshy horn-brown. 



It is remarkable tliat three of our birds — in the middle of the breeding 

 season — had moulting tails, and one of them also the wings 1 



In 1911 we found this species common in March, in the " Monleina " south 

 of Biskra, and saw a few near Laghouat, among the sand-hills near the river. 

 Two we shot are rather dark rufous brown, but we have similar ones from .South 

 Tunisia, and the shade of colour in these birds varies and becomes generally 

 darker in strongly worn specimens. 



93. Cisticola cisticola arquatus (Miill.). 



We only found this bird near Biskra, where it was not particularly rare. 

 All specimens shot in March, except one, a female killed March 13, 19U9, are 

 moulting part of their body-plumage, especially on the head, nevertheless a male 

 from Ajjril 28 looks already very worn. 



The moutli of the male is black inside, that of the single female we shot 

 was of a yellowish flesh-colour, not " dark yellow." 



In February and early in March 1911 Cisticola was quite common in the 

 Imshes near the Oued Biskra. The spring moult of the body-plumage was only 

 beginning. All males shot had the mouth inside entirely black, the females flesh- 

 colour or yellow. 



04. Crateropus fulvus fulvus (Desf). 



Inhabitant of desert tracts where bushes are more or less plentiful, and 

 especially where the Zisi/phux abounds, in which it builds its bulky nests. In 

 1909 we only saw it near Zaatcha, west of Biskra, on March IT, and near Burdj 

 (!hegga, south of the latter town. On March 26 and April 19 some Arabs brought 

 ns fresh eggs near Bordj Chegga, and on the same day also young birds were 

 found in a nest. Three more eggs were brought to us near Biskra on April 27. 

 The eggs vary in size from 23-2 x l(j'6 to 24o x 19 and 25 x 17 mm. 



The iris of the adult birds is bright red-brown with a whitish outer ring. 

 Feet light stone-brown ; bill blackish brown. In a female from Laghonat the 

 iris was " brown with a narrow jjale sulphur-yellow outer ring." 



In 1911 a few were seen and obtained near Laghonat, and whole families 

 were observed in the oasis of Ghardaia, but these birds were exceedingly common 

 in the dayats. In the impenetrable thickets of Zizuplms, which more or less 

 surround every dayat, they were continuously noticed. They go about generally 

 in strings, one following the other in single file, uttering a vibrating, trilling, 



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