Mr. J. I. S. Whitaker on Tunisian Birds. 99 



ling with me, aud who, in fact, shot the only speciaicn 1 

 obtained of the species, tokl me at that time that his attention 

 was first attracted to it by a peculiar low whistling note 

 proceeding from a scrubby bush close by, and that it was only 

 after waiting patiently a considerable length of time that he 

 eventually caught sight of the bird and shot it. He then 

 went after what he thouglit must be the female, which he 

 had heard whistling in answer to her mate, not far off; but 

 although he searched diligently in every direction, he 

 failed to find it. I myself subsequently, on two different 

 occasions, together with my friend, listened to this peculiar 

 whistle, but could not discover whence it proceeded ; and I 

 therefore cannot speak conclusively, or affirm positively that 

 itwas uttered by abirdofthis species, although I have no reason 

 to doubt it was so. The whistle in question is exceedingly soft 

 and melodious, and is composed sometimes of two, at others 

 of three notes, and in an ascending scale. Once heard, it 

 cannot be mistaken. The country whence my specimen 

 came, and w^here we subsequently heard the whistle, was 

 open plain, covered with wild thyme, always more or less 

 green. On the dry desert-plains further south we never 

 heard the bird, and I believe it does not occur in the extreme 

 south. 



No doubt this species is correctly placed in the genus 

 Chersophilus, and no longer as Alamon. (See Sharpe, B. M. 

 Cat. B. xiii. p. 525.) 



45. Alauda cristata theckl.b. 



Galerita theckla, Sharpe, B. M. Cat. B. xiii. p. 633. 



I introduce the Crested Lark, although mentioned in ray 

 previous list, wishing to observe that I consider the Crested 

 Lark of North Tunis should be referred to A. theckla 

 (Brehm). I have carefully compared a good series of 

 Tunisian examples with some from the south of Spain, and 

 find them almost identical. They differ from the typical 

 A. cristata in the following respects, viz. : — In size they are 

 smaller, and with a shorter bill. In general colouring 

 they are rather darker, and of a grey-brown instead of a 



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