Bird' Life of Eastern Algeria. 137 



11. Carduelis carduelis africanus Hart. North-African 

 Goldfinch. 



Generally distributed and very common, from the north 

 coast to the oases south of the Aures range such as Biskra 

 and Sidi Okba. At Biskra we found eggs and young in the 

 nests on the crowns and leaves of palm-trees, April 23-25, 

 and at El Outaia large numbers were found breeding from 

 April 16 onwards, on which date we found young (J). 

 Abundant and general (W). 



12. Carduelis cannabina mediterranea (Tsch.). Mediter- 

 ranean Linnet. 



Common on the high ground near Lambese, where we 

 found nearly fledged young on April 27 and met with 

 many clutches of fresh eggs a few days later (J). Linnets 

 (subsp. ?) noted in February at Biskra, the Aures, Hammam 

 Meskoutiue, and. on the wheat-growing plains (W). 



13. Serinus canarius serinus (L.). Serin. 



Widely distributed, as far south as Biskra, and tolerably 

 common, but not so plentiful as the Goldfinch. A nest 

 found in a palm at Biskra (J). Clutch of four fresh eggs 

 ten feet up in orange-tree at Ain Mokra (R). Common and 

 general : eggs taken at El Kantara, and an unfinished nest 

 at Hammam Meskoutine on April 21 (W). 



14. Erythrospiza githaginea zedlitzi Neum. Algerian 

 Trumpeter Bullfinch. 



Breeds in some numbers on the stony hills from El 

 Kantara to Biskra, nesting under shelter of stones or among 

 boulders, and sometimes in holes and crevices of high mud- 

 clifi's. In a little gully at the foot of Djebel Mellah I met 

 with four pairs nesting within a few yards of one another. 

 They are confiding little birds, and will remain on the nest 

 when the observer is within a yard or two. Clutches of 

 four to six eggs may be found during the latter half of 

 April (J). 



