Ornithology of Northern Africa. 41 9 



ring winter in the sedges round the Sebkha, Waregla, N'goussa, 

 and Tuggurt. 



64. Aedon galactodes. (Rufous Sedge Warbler.) 



This bird, certainly no true Salicaria or Sedge Warbler, was 

 frequently observed in the Desert during winter, hovering about 

 the outskirts of watered gardens or bopping among the tama- 

 risk-trees. But as its breeding habits came under our notice 

 very constantly in the Atlas, I shall defer all further notice of 

 this eccentric Warbler for the present. 



65. Drymoica striaticeps*. Tristram, Ibis, 1859, p. 58. 

 In one and only one locality did I meet with this most graceful 



Warbler. On the route between N'goussa and Tema9in we had 

 halted for a few hours by the salt-lake of Ai'n Bahrdahd, one of 

 the most extensive of the few natural wildernesses of the Desert, 

 and which had not at that time been visited by any European. 

 Wandering in the swamp in pursuit of Crateropus fulvus, I 

 was struck by a clear long-drawn call of five notes, unlike any 

 I had ever heard — lohee-why-whe-whe-hee. It was long before 

 among the tamarisks I could descry the songster, whom I at 

 length observed, now running up the boughs like a Creeper, and 

 then poising himself on a twig with his tail perpendicularly ex- 

 panded and jerking it backwards and forwards. I only obtained 

 a pair, but saw two or three others. Captain Loche has, I be- 

 lieve, since obtained it at the same spot. It occasionally poises 

 itself in the air and suddenly drops down again among the long 

 grass. The whole upper portion of the body is of a delicate ash- 

 brown, reddish towards the tail, and the feathers on the crown 

 having a dark streak down the centre of each ; the eyebrows 

 whitish ; a narrow black mark between the eye and the gape of 

 the beak ; the primaries brown ; the tail a darker brown, except 

 the outer rectrices, which are white, and the next pair with a 

 white patch at the extremity. The whole under plumage white, 

 with a faint rufous tinge on the flanks ; tarsi and bill a pale 

 orange colour. Whole length 4-25 inches, wing 2*75, tail 2T, 

 tarsi 0-75, bill 05. The sexes are similar in plumage. 



* Malurvs suhara, Loche, Rev. Zool. 1859, p. :i%. pi. U. fig. 2.— Ed. 



'> a 2 



<V IJt fV 



