400 Mr. D. A. Bannerman : First Impressions [Ihis, 



Tunis I had, with Mr. Sclater, the pleasure of meeting- 

 Monsieur Lavauden, a French ornithologist, who is in 

 charge of the "Woods and Forests" department of the 

 Government in Tunisia. Mons. liavauden has an excellent 

 knowledge of Tunisian birds, and gave us much interesting- 

 information on the suoject ; he has compiled a most useful 

 little brochure on the Tunisian birds, which is noticed in the 

 last number of ' The Ibis ' {cf. p. 326). Mr. Sclater also visited 

 Mons. Blanchet, a local naturalist of considerable repute, 

 whom 1 regret I did not have the pleasure of meeting. 

 Both these gentlemen would, I feel sure, be willing to give 

 unstintingly of their ornithological knowledge to any 

 members of the B. 0. U. who niay chance to visit Tunisia. 



tShooting restrictions in Tunisia are much simpler than in 

 the adjoining country of Algeria. Firearms may be taken 

 into the country so long as they are declared at the port of 

 arrival. Grun licences cost under two francs, and only a 

 small tax is charged on the importation of loaded cart- 

 ridges. 



In the south game is said to be plentiful, the widely dis- 

 tributed Dorcas Grazelle {^Gazella dorcas dovcas) and Loder's 

 Gazelle {Gazella leptoceros loderi), as well as the Addax 

 Antelope (^Addax nasomaculatus nasomacxdatus), with its fine 

 spiral horns, being found. The ordinary shooting-season 

 lasts from the middle of August, at which early date few 

 sportsmen will be tempted to brave the blazing sun of the 

 plains, until the end of February; while doubtless the 

 season would be extended for anyone collecting for scientific 

 purposes, the French authorities looking with a friendly eye 

 on all such pursuits. 



We left Tunis with deep regret in the early morning of 

 February 16th, travelling by train into Algeria. Our 

 destination was Hammam-Meskoutine, which took eleven 

 hours to reach, but the magnificent scenery through which 

 the line passes prevented any thought of tedium. Passing 

 at first through fertile valleys, olive-clad slopes, and then 

 bare hills, the scenery becomes grander as the higher alti- 

 tudes are approached, often skirting, often crossing and 



