in the Eastern Atlas. 315 



87. Calandrella brachydactyla. (Short-toed Lark.) 

 This lark is much more local in its distribution than the 



last — its range being confined to a few favoured spots in the 

 elevated plains. About A'in Beida it is abundant, and through- 

 out the great plain of El Tharf it may be commonly met with ; 

 in the neighbourhood of Djendeli it also occurs. Like the rest 

 of its congeners, it places its nest on the sheltered side of a 

 bush, — the scrubby vegetation which clothes the whole of that 

 arid district affording the necessary protection for its offspring. 

 The eggs of this species vary very much ; even in the same nest 

 hardly two similar ones are to be found. So different were some 

 of the varieties, that the greatest care was necessary in identi- 

 fying their true parentage. 



88. Melanocorypha calandra. (Calandra Lark.) 



The large size of the Calandra makes it conspicuous among 

 its congeners in places where the other species are found. It 

 seeks the pastures and corn-fields more than the above-men- 

 tioned species, though in some places all three are found toge- 

 ther in equal abundance. The number of eggs varies from 

 thi'ce to five ; they are laid about the second week in May, but 

 some earlier. 



89. LoxiA CURVIROSTRA. (Crossbill.) 



On the 26th of March, we met with the Crossbill half a day's 

 journey westward of Kef, on a ridge of the mountains covered 

 with pine-trees. There were five or six of them, consisting of 

 two parent birds with their young just out of the nest. 



90. Picus NUMiDicus. (Numidian Woodpecker.) 



I shot one of these birds in a tree that overhangs a small 

 marabout that stands on the north side of the eastern precipice 

 of Djebel Dekma. 



91. Gecinus levaillantii. (Levaillant's Woodpecker.) 

 This close ally, but well-defined representative of our common 



Green Woodpecker {Gecinus viridis) is not uncommon in dis- 

 tricts where there are large trees. I met with it on several 

 occasions ; and a nest of seven eggs, with the old bird, was 

 brought to us by an Arab. These eggs appear, on comparison, 

 decidedly smaller than those of our familiar species. 



