THE ALGERIAN SAHARA. 59 



C. Jicruioncjisis (Trist.), has the crown of the head slightly 

 rufous. In the "Birds of Europe," Part XXII., it is stated 

 that " M. Taczanouski observed it in the winter in Algeria ; " 

 but in his list, translated in the Zoologist, that naturalist 

 says, '' Not seen during the zvhole winter. In the beginning 

 of March we caught sight of a small flock for the first time." 

 (ZooL, 2581). 



With thankful hearts we rode into Laghouat on Thursday 

 morning. It was nearly a month since I had seen an 

 European, and I was not sorry to get back to the comforts of 

 a bedroom at the hotel. On all hands I heard of the Camel 

 "razzia" at Zergoun. I might almost say it had created 

 some uneasinesss. I w'as very glad to take the first 

 "courrier," and return to Algiers as quickly as possible. 

 I did not attempt to shoot any more, but at Ain-El-Ibel 

 I was given a Red-necked Goatsucker (Capriniulgus ruficol- 

 lis) in fine plumage. The next day being Sunday, I slept 

 at Guelt-El-Stel, and saw three more of the same species, 

 apparently attracted by the young locusts with which the 

 ground was perfectly black in places. It is not included by 

 either Tristram, Salvin, or Taczanouski. Near Medea I got 

 the finest Golden Oriole (Oriolus galbula) I ever saw. The 

 coach stopped to bait at a roadside public-house, the land- 

 lord of which had shot it on a fruit tree in his garden. Its 

 stomach contained a mass of hair, apparently that of hairy 

 caterpillars. 



Nothing else worth mentioning occurred until I reached 

 Algiers. There I saw two more new birds, the Yellow-legged 

 Herring Gull (Lams lencopJuvns), and the Purple Heron 

 ( Ardea purpurea), the former in the harbour, the latter in a 

 barber's shop apparently just set up. In crossing to Mar- 

 seilles I observed Stormy Petrels ( TJialassidroma pelagica) 

 at the Balearic Isles, and Cinereous Shearwaters (Puffinus 

 cinereus), both of which may be included in the Algerian 

 avifauna. Indeed in May, 1856, Dr. Tristram shot eight 



