30 RAMBLES OF A NATURALIST. 



The Arabs burn the bark off the trees, which is as valuable 

 as our oak bark is to us in England, but this practice ruins 

 the picturesque. Beneath many a stately monarch of the 

 forest we passed, now scorched and blackened. I believe 

 these great woods are chiefly composed of oak, ilex, and 

 cork ; seven sorts of oaks are enumerated in Piesse's 

 " Itineraire de I'Algerie." They form a safe home for such 

 woodland birds as Pica niaiiritanica, Lanins anriailatiis, and 

 Friiigilla spodiogena, which nest here in perfect security. 

 Perched on one scathed limb, a noble Eagle seemed to keep 

 guard over all around him : he eyed us as we approached 

 him, and it was not until we were almost within gunshot 

 that he condescended to stretch his broad pinions. 



After a long drive, Boghari came in view, an Arab village, 

 close to the town of Boghar, and the usual stopping place for 

 travellers as there is an inn there, and to ascend to the town 

 would be much further. Here the traveller may taste 

 '' C0USC071S," an Arab preparation of barley, milk, meat, and 

 fruits. It is variously called couscous and couscoiisoo. He 

 will also see the black nomadic tents of camels' hair, which 

 he is afterwards destined to sleep in. They are very ill- 

 constructed, and so low, that you can barely stand upright 

 in the middle. A partition divides them into two chambers, 

 one for the men, and one for the women where the cooking 

 is done. They are generally made of camels* hair, some- 

 times of goats' hair, interwoven with wool, black or in 

 coloured stripes. They are propped up with sticks, and are 

 grimy in the last degree. To sum up the description of 

 them, they are the reverse of picturesque at a distance, and 

 present a filthy appearance on closer inspection ! Half a 

 dozen surly dogs mount guard, and so obstreperous are 

 they that I was several times on the point of shooting them, 

 and only refrained from fear of offending their masters. 



After inspecting the Jews' quarter, which is worth a visit 

 for the sake of seeing the Jewesses who dress very gaily, 



