3G8 Rev. H. B. Tristram's Notes from Eastern Algeria. 



tlie door of which I met a bluff rough-looking officer in gardening 

 costume, and invited myself to be his guest for the night. He in- 

 troduced me to his subaltern and doctor; for they mustered three. 

 The fort had been established for three years, but he told me I 

 was the first traveller they had seen. They are three lonely men 

 with their seventy Arab troopers, close to the Tunisian frontier, 

 which is but two miles distant, but which they intend ' to rectify' 

 at the next act of trespass committed from the other side; 

 meanwhile they occupy themselves chiefly in gardening and 

 poultry rearing. They were decidedly oologists, for five Turkey 

 hens were sitting in boxes in their mess-room, and many hens 

 in the barrack hall, while their garden showed great taste and 

 skill with small means. They pointed out some curious in- 

 stances of degeneracy in flowers from France. All their ranun- 

 culi, of which they had a good show, the second year become 

 crimson, and their verbenas all run into pink. Tbey had, how- 

 ever, a goodly collection of roses in bloom. 



There are some Numidian tombs in the hills near, where I 

 copied two Numidian or Punic inscriptions. The doctor ac- 

 companied me, in hopes of showing me also the nest of Picus 

 numidicus, but we were too early for them, although he shot for 

 me two fine male specimens. 



The next morning I was off before any of my hosts were vip. 

 The road today left the forest, and wound for some miles through 

 open valleys with hills covered with scrub, and tall trees occa- 

 sionally relieving them. On one of these I observed a dark- 

 plumaged bird perched, which I took for the Black Kite, till on 

 its taking wing I imagined I had found the Common Buzzard 

 of Europe, for it had none of the ruddy hues which mark the 

 Buteo tachardus of the country. After quietly following it for a 

 long distance, I had an opportunity of examining it again more 

 closely as it rested on a bare tree and scrutinized me in turn. 

 There was no mistake now — I was looking at my little friend the 

 Booted Eagle, Aquila pennatUy but was not able to secure him, 

 or to discover his nest, if he had one. 



About eleven o'clock we descried an Arab camp at some di- 

 stance, and feeling very hungry, I sent Salah on foot to report 

 on the chance of meeting with hospitality, while I remained 



