578 On the Birds of the Province of Constantine. 



mountain-districts. We met with it throughout all parts of 

 the Djebel Aures we visited. It affects the wooded portions 

 of the hills equally as much as the bare and rocky ones ; and 

 its low hoarse cry, caivee-cawee, was repeatedly heard from 

 the barley-fields too. At Oued Taga the Arab boys found 

 us a couple of nests of this species, the one containing seven, 

 the other six eggs. They were situated on the rocky hill- 

 sides. One was under a tuft of grass half hidden by a rock, 

 the other under a thick juniper bush. The nest is but a 

 very slight structure, merely a hollow scratched in the 

 ground and lined with a few bits of herbage. At that date, 

 2nd of June, the birds had not begun to sit. 



CiCONIA ALBA. 



We found the White Stork most common near Constantine. 

 It becomes much rarer southwards. At Batna a pair of birds 

 had built their nest on a tall chimney-stack, and on the 1 1th 

 of June incubation was certainly in progress. 



TOTANUS STAGNATILIS. 



Mr. Elwes shot a fine specimen of the Marsh- Sandpiper 

 from a little pool in the oasis of El Outaia. 



Charadrius curonicus. 



I shot a single example of the Little Ringed Plover in the 

 fast-drying-up bed of the Oued Biskra at Biskra. Many 

 pairs of these birds were on the ground, where it appeared 

 they were about to breed. 



Rallus minutus. 



I shot one example of the Little Crake from a small pool 

 at Biskra, where it evidently breeds. I at first took this bird 

 to be Baillon''s Crake [R. bailloni) , from the white markings 

 it exhibits on the back ; but Canon Tristram assures me that 

 the infallible distinction between the two species lies in the 

 outer web of the first primary, which in R, minutus is brown, 

 and in R. bailloni invariably white. 



PODICEPS ? 



At Biskra I shot at and wounded a large Grebe, but un- 

 fortunately failed to secure it. 



