364 Mr. O. Salvia's Five Months' Birds' -nesting. 



detachment of cavalry ; for they found the Ducks' nests by 

 cutting the grass over them, and desertion on tlie })art of the 

 bird infallibly ensued if the eggs were left. 



140. Nyroca leucophthalma. (White-eyed Duck.) 



This bird also breeds at Zana and Djendeli, We were more 

 fortunate in obtaining their eggs than those of the other species 

 of Ducks. The W^idgeon {Mareca penelope) is not found in 

 either place, at least we never saw it ; and so brilliant a bird as 

 the cock could hardly have escaped observation ; consequently 

 the eggs from these districts may fairly be ascribed to this bird, 

 as no other Duck in the country lays similar eggs. 



141. Erismatura mersa. (White-headed Duck.) 



Is common in the lagoon of El Baheira. We afterwards saw 

 it at Djendeli and Zana, but did not obtain its eggs. 



142. PoDiCEPS CRisTATUs. (Great Crested Grebe.) 

 Occurs in the lagoon of El Baheira. 



143. PoDiCEPS AURiTUS. (Eared Grebe.) 



Very common in the lagoon of El Baheira during the winter. 

 I afterwards observed it in Lake Djendeli, but did not obtain 

 any eggs. 



144. PoDicEPs MINOR. (Little Grebe.) 



At Zana the Little Grebe is common, and breeds there. 



145. Thalasseus cantiacus. (Sandwich Tern.) 



I shot a Sandwich Tern flying over the lagoon of El Baheira, 

 and saw others. 



146. Gelochelidon anglica. (Gull-billed Tern.) 



The representative of this species in the lagoons of Tunis 

 and the lakes of the interior appears to differ immaterially from 

 the true G. anglica, which extends its range into India. Mr. 

 Gould, who has kindly compared my examples with his own, 

 assures me that this is the case. At Zana we found it breeding, 

 a considerable number frequenting the marsh. Numerous as 

 the bird was, we only obtained five eggs ; one other egg our 

 servant Bilgarzoum broke, having wound it up in his turban by 

 way of putting it in a safe place to take it to the tents. Of 

 course, when he went to unfold it, it was hopelessly flat. No 



