1 92 1.] of Tunisia and Algeria. 389 



A glimpse of these nne birds standing knee-deep in the lake 

 may often be enjoyed from the windows of the train, and 

 the sight of a flock rising against the cloudless l)lne sky with 

 the sunlight catching their rosy plumage is alone almost 

 recompense for the long journey from England. The 

 number of Coots {Fulica atra atra) on this lake is really 

 astounding. They are absolutely tame here, and paddle 

 about in hundreds within a few yards of the line. 



Bordering the railway-track on the northern side of the 

 lake is a low stone wall, the haunt of numbers of Redshanks 

 (and doubtless other waders besides), which, usually shy 

 birds in England, here do not even cease feeding as the 

 train rushes by. Herons (^Ardea cinerea^ stand sentinel on 

 the wall every hundred yards or so ; Little Grebes {Podiceps 

 rnficollis) in pairs swim about close to the shore exhibiting 

 little more alarm than their companions ; while out on the 

 open water flocks of ducks skim over the surface, keeping, 

 however, well out of gunshot of the shore. Like most 

 salt or brackish lakes, the Lac de Tunis is absolutely 

 devoid of vegetation around its shores, and in consequence 

 those birds which do frequent its muddy margin are easily 

 observed with field-glasses. 



Quite apart from the wonderful Roman and Punic reniains 

 so skilfully excavated by Pere Delattre, the environs of Car- 

 thage are well worthy of a visit for the sake of the birds which 

 frequent this world-famous site. In the brilliant sunlight the 

 fields are remarkably green in the month of Febrnary, and 

 even the sea-cliffs present nothing of the barrenness usually 

 associated with the north African coast in the minds of home- 

 dwelling ornithologists. From the young corn many Crested 

 Larks * sprang up as we passed, gently quivering to eiirth with 

 wings and tail fully extended, plainly showing the three pairs 

 of dark tail-feathers contrasting with the pale outer and central 

 pairs. Tunisia is, as Whitaker has said, par excellence the land 

 in which to study these remarkably interesting birds, though 

 doubtless Hartert would cite Algeria, and Nicoll Egypt, as 



* The long-billed form of this district is Galerida cvistata carthaffinis, 

 the short-billed form Galerida thcklce harterti. 



