408 Mr. D. A. Bannerman : First Impressions [Ibis, 



o£ Cliott Tinzilts, birds, if present, could not escape notice. 

 Backed by distant snow-capped mountains, the blue expanse 

 o£ water, surrounded by low, absolutely barren, reddish- 

 tinted hills, made a singularly attractive picture, and only 

 needed the Flamingoes to complete the scene. 



Beyond " Les Lacs " great plains stretch to El Mahder, 

 covered when not under cultivation with camel grass, where 

 numerous large flocks of Starlings {^Sturnus vulgaris vulgaris) 

 were observed. Considering the poor quality of much of 

 the soil, the extent of land under cultivation is really 

 remarkable. As we neared Batna the mountains, still 

 deeply capped with snow, increased in altitude, and were, 

 as we soon discovered, thickly clothed with forest and scrub; 

 the forest covers a large area as seen from the train alone, 

 and consists, I believe, chiefly of cedar mixed with oak. 



Batna, which is also the home of a great number of White 

 Storks, is perhaps the best centre from which to explore the 

 Aures Mountains. It was from here that Dr. Hartert set 

 out to ascend Djebel Mahmel^ the type-locality of Seebohm's 

 Wheatear ((Enanthe cenantlie seehohmi), whilst the oak woods 

 above Lambese may be conveniently worked from that place. 

 Between Batna and Biskra the train carries one past varied 

 scenery — first through a wide valley flanked on either side by 

 hills thickly covered with cedar forest, known as the Forct 

 d'Ichali, then through plains partly cultivated, partly grazing 

 land, but with every kilometer the vegetation becomes more 

 scanty and less green than farther north. By the time 

 Tamarin is reached the country has already taken on quite 

 a desert aspect. Close to the little station, where pome- 

 granates, apricots, and tamarisks — the fruit-trees in full 

 blossom — seemed to be almost the last sign of cultivation, 

 six Common Cranes were seen in a field. South of Tamarin, 

 barren undulating hills, cut up by dry nullahs, heralded the 

 approach of the desert, and soon the line ascended into wild 

 mountainous country, where the rugged hills were clothed 

 only with the scantiest of plant-life. There was not a tree 

 in sight, not even a nomad's tent. We were now close to 

 the famous gorge of El Kantara, and eagerly scanned the 



