86 Mr. J. I. S. Whitaker on Tunisian Birds. 



I had intended on this occasion making a more extended 

 journey^ visiting the Algerian Sahara first, and then entering 

 the Tunisian territory from the S.W. ; indeed, I had ah-eady 

 started on this expedition, and was two days^ journey beyond 

 Biskra, when a sad loss in my family circle recalled me home. 

 The season being far advanced when I was able to make a 

 fresh start, I finally decided to confine my travels to the 

 country I had already visited last year. I would, however, 

 here mention that I had previously despatched a second party, 

 in charge of a friend, to explore the country immediately south 

 of the Chott Djerid, partly with a view to bird-collecting, 

 although I regret to say the result of their efforts in this par- 

 ticular respect was somewhat disappointing, owing, perhaps, 

 to the counter-attractions of bigger game. 



The route I myself took being so nearly that followed by 

 me last year, I propose giving merely a brief outline of ray 

 present journey, avoiding, so far as may be possible, any 

 repetition of my previous experiences. 



Starting from Tunis on the 24th March, I reached Tebessa 

 the same evening, spent the following day in making up my 

 caravan, and left again on the 2Gth for Feriana by the southern 

 road via Bou-Chebka. Here we experienced very cold stormy 

 weather, and were among the clouds the greater part of one 

 day. This Avas not to be wondered at, perhaps, considering we 

 were at an altitude of over 4000 feet. The cold at night was 

 intense on these high plateaux, ice forming on the pools round 

 our tents. The neighbourhood of Bou-Chebka is a charming 

 park-like country, with woods of Aleppo-pine; and further 

 on among the hills, before descending to Feriana, the scenery 

 is decidedly grand and imposing. Owing to the bad weather, 

 we did not reach Feriana till the 29th March. En route from 

 Tebessa we met with the following birds worthy of note, 

 viz. : — Turdus viscivorus, Monticola cyanus, Ruticilla mous- 

 sieri, Sylvia subalpina, Fringilla spodiogena, Loocia cicrvi- 

 rostra, Corvus tiiigitanus, and Columba palumbuSy besides the 

 ubiquitous Barbary Partridge. 



At Feriana I was obliged to discharge my Algerian camel- 

 and mule-drivers, and engage a f^-esh lot of Tuni^^ians. As a 



