NOVITATES ZOOLOGICAE XXII. 1915. II 



evenings, until on April 25 they appeared in numbers — at least ten or twelve 

 hawking about close to the bordj. We thought this was the arrival, but never 

 again was a single specimen seen. Now what is the meaning of this ? Are they 

 migratory to some extent ? Not really, I should say, because nowhere have 

 they been found farther southwards. I am inclined to think that they move 

 about in small flocks out of the breeding season, and possibly a number of pairs 

 nest close together in suitable places, and these places are perhaps uncertain 

 and variable. 



38. Cuculus canorus minor Brehm. 



While on Blarch 30 C. canorus canorus (cJ, wing 220 mm.) was still met with 

 on migration near Biskra, the small North African race was by no means rare 

 near Hammam Meskoutine from the end of Ajiril to the end of May. (Wings 

 measure : ? 199, ¥ 205, ? 210, ? ? 197 mm.) A specimen (not sexed) obtained by 

 Mr. Rothschild at Hammam Meskoutine on April 26, with a wing of 219 mm., 

 belongs to the large race, and must have been still on passage. An egg found in 

 the forsaken nest of Si/icia melanocephala in May is of a pale pinkish cream with 

 rufous markings and some deeper-lying greyish patches. It measures 20-5 x 16 mm., 

 and is thus small compared with the eggs of C. canorus canorus. It closely 

 resembles the two eggs found near Alger, and described in Nov. Zool. xviii. 

 pp. 526, 527, in size and coloration. 



39. Merops persicus chrysocercus Cab. & Heine. 



and 



4(1. Merops apiaster L. 



Both species nest in small numbers on the banks of the Oued Nga, but neither 

 of them had eggs up to the end of April. Eggs of M. apiaster were plentiful 

 near Hammam Meskoutine on May 26 and 27. 



41. Falco biarmicus erlangeri Kleinschm. 



Nesting from the Hants Plateaux to the Central Sahara. The nesting-site 

 is more variable than I used to think. Formerly I only knew of nests on cliffs 

 in small cavities or under ledges, partly high and almost inaccessible, sometimes 

 quite low and easy to reach. This year a nest was found in a large cave, 

 another on a clifi' not far from Biskra in a Raven's nest {Corcus corax tingi- 

 ?««««), another in the nest of Corous corax ruJicoUis in a Betoum {Terebintkus) 

 tree in the Oued N^a, on the same tree where Circaetus gallicus nested in 1912. 

 Also the food is more variable than I was aware of Birds will doubtless be the 

 chief food, especially during the migration period, when they are numerous. In 

 the gizzards and stomachs we found Emberiza calandra (twice), Anthus or Motacilla 

 (once), Calandrella brachydactijla (once), an unrecognisable bird (once). One female 

 shot in the Oued N^a had gizzard and stomach full of remains of the Spine-tail 

 Lizard, Uromastix acanthiiiurus, and once I found the jaw of a small hedgehog. 

 The wings of adult birds measure in females 346, 353, and about 350 (worn), those 

 of males about 309, 310 mm. 



A clutch of four, slightly incubated, was found near Biskra on March 23, 

 ■another hard-set one of four, and one of three in and near the Oued Nva on 

 April 17 and 20. 



