43 RAMBLES OF A NATURALIST, 



soon descried dayats* ahead, and halting beneath their 

 welcome shade, consumed our fruoal huich. Attentive 

 Mohammed had provided a repast of roasted locusts, which 

 tasted something like shrimps. The remains of a fire and 

 the horns of a Gazelle showed that some travellers had 

 been there before us. 



When the sun sank to her rest, our first day's journey 

 Avas ended. We had reached more clumps of trees — 

 Jujubes, Terebinths, Olives, etc. ; all the larger ones had 

 Ravens' nests on them ; and I may here remark that the 

 Ravens of Algeria appear to be much smaller than English 

 ones. They moreover breed in society. In 1S67, L. Tacza- 

 nouski, of the Warsaw Museum, was so struck with this 

 difference in size that he refused to catalogue them as 

 Corvns corax (Zoologist, p. 2587) ; and Lieut-Col. Irb}' has 

 since bcsto\\'ed the name of Corvns tiiigitaiius on this variety 

 (Ibis for 1S74, p. 264). Ravens are proverbial for their 

 shyness, and I never had the luck to shoot one. Though 

 glad to find other's carrion, or to make carrion of them if 

 he can do it with impunity, as some writer has observed, the 

 Raven takes good care that none shall make carrion of him. 

 I have seen one pursue a bird of prey for a quarter of a mile, 

 and on one occasion I witnessed a sharp fight between a 

 Kite and a Raven, in which the blows of their wings could 

 be plainly heard like distant pistol shots. 



Early next morning we descried some tents, where we 

 were treated to dates, sheep's milk, and the staple dish 

 couscous. This, their favourite repast, is served on a carpet, 

 which is always spread on the arrival of strangers, for no 

 Algerian would invite you to sit upon the ground. I ob- 

 served several pairs of Bushchats (Saxicola mcusia, Licht., 

 6". philopJitJiamna, Trist.), hopping about it. They are pretty 



• Davats are miniature oases where there is no constant supply of 

 water, and consequently no palms, though other trees grow there. 



