( 5-t8 ) 



having a skin from that locality ; but probably Gmelin'.s bird will be the European 

 darker form, aud the South and East Persian form would require a new name. 



0. oedicneniM indiciis Salvad. : India aud Ceylon. Fifteen specimens have 

 wings of 205—220, very rarely 225 mm. — It is difficult to understand that 

 Sharpe, in the Cat. Birds x.Kiv. p. 6, did not separate tliis form. 



211. Glareola pratincola pratincola (L.) 

 We met with a small party near Bordj Saada, south of Biskra, on April 22, I'JU'J, 

 and obtained two beautiful adult females. Iris very dark brown, feet blackish 

 brown, bill black, base behind nostrils red. 



212. Cursorius gallicus gallicus (Gm.). 



The beautiful, graceful " Courser," equally swift on foot as on the wing, was 

 met with fre(]^uently south of the Atlas. According to Whitaker it occurs also in 

 North Algeria, even near the town of Tunis, aud Koeuig saw it once near Batna; 

 but we only found it in the desert, south of Biskra and Laghouat. It is sometimes 

 very noisy, and its loud "quit-quit" is often heard before one sees the bird. 

 The Arabs call it the Swak el ibel (J.e. the camel-driver), and do not seem to like 

 its being shot. We found it on sandy ground only, but only where there was some 

 vegetation and stones not far away, for among the stones it deposits its eggs, in 

 a little depression in the ground, without a nest. We did not once see it among 

 the high duues of shifting sand in the " Soiif." The iris is dark brown, bill black 

 or blackish horn, feet milk-white. Our two eggs, taken south of Bordj Saada in 

 April 1909, measure 34-1 x 27'1 and 34-8 x 27 mm. 



213. Charadrius dubius Scop. 

 Common in North and South Algeria, and apparently breeding as far south as 

 Biskra. Eggs were takeu near Hammam Meskoutiue in May ; they measure 

 29 X 21-0, 29-5 x 22, 28-5 x 22, 29 x 22 mm. 



214. Charadrius alexandrinus L. 

 At least as common as C. dtibitis, and met with near Biskra, Mrair, Tamerna, 

 Touggourt, and Ghardaia. 



215. Vanellus vanellus (L.). 

 Very common in Northern Algeria during the winter months, but uot so 

 numerous in the south. 



216. Himantopus bimantopus himantopus (L.). 

 Seen several times in March aud April in tlie neighbourhood of Biskra, and 

 two shot April 19, 1908. 



217. Gallinago gallinago gallinago (L.). 

 The Common Snipe is numerous iu winter, in suitable localities, and we have 

 often met it near Biskra in March. 



218. Erolia minuta (Leisl.). 

 ( Tringa viimita auct.) 

 Only once, near Ghardaia, April 22, 1911, we came across a couple, and 

 managed to shoot one, which is, of course, in beautiful spring i)lumage. 



