1 92 1.] of Tunisia and Algeria. 401 



re-crossing the great bed of the Medjerda river, the course 

 of which the line follows tor a considerable distance ; the 

 train gradually ascends until surrounded on all sides by a 

 tumbling mass of mountains clothed at the highest points 

 with maoiiificeiit forests of ('ork and Evergreen Oaks. 



I do not know whether any ornithologist has ever worked 

 in this country, but 1 can imagine no more suitable district 

 for studying the mountain and forest fauna than that just 

 described, particnlarly when the Tunisian-Algerian boundary 

 has been crossed. The stretch of mountain scenery between 

 Souk-Ahras (2297 ft.) and Ain-Tahamimine (1100 ft.;, 

 which reaches at Laverdure an altitude of over 2500 ft. with 

 mountains of 4150 ft. towering above, is incomparably 

 beautiful. Eagles on more than one occasion were seen, 

 one bird flying for some distance parallel with the train and 

 almost within gunshot of the carriage. Owing to the sun 

 I was unable to get a satisfactory view of its plumage, but 

 I believe it to have been the Golden Eagle, which is found 

 sparingly throughout the northern Atlas Mountains of 

 Algeria and generally throughout the more mountainous 

 parts of Tunisia. 



Tlie line now gradually descends, and as we neared 

 Hammam-Meskoutine the country opened out, olives once 

 more clothed the slopes, and in every direction the country 

 bore a highly [irosperous and luxuriant appearance. 



Hammam-Meskoutine or The Baths o£ the Petrified, as 

 its name implies, from an ancient Arab legend, is charm- 

 ingly situated from an ornithologist's point of view. The 

 hotel and farm buildings are almost the only houses in sight. 

 In the pretty courtyard, round which the hotel is built, 

 palms, orange and lemon trees are the haunt of numerous 

 Dusky Bulbuls {Pycnonotus harhatus harhatus), the first we 

 had met with. Redbreasts {Eritliacns ruhecula subsp. ?) 

 hopped about under the shade of the trees, a Grey Wagtail 

 (^Alotacilla cinerea cinerea) frequented the irrigation stream, 

 and innumerable Sjiarrows filled the air with their noisy 

 chatter. Lord liothschild and Dr. Hartert paid particular . 

 attention to the Sparrows at Hammam-Meskoutine and 



