128 Mr. J. I. S. Whitaker on Tunisian Birds. 



much frequented by C. duponti, do not seem to be in equal 

 favour with other species of birds, an occasional pair of 

 Crested Larks being all that one may expect to meet with 

 on them besides the present species, and even Crested Larks 

 are wanting in certain districts. Occasionally some of these 

 plains have a little alfa grass growing on them in patches, 

 and here one may meet with the Lesser Bustard. The 

 notes of C. duponti, as previously mentioned by me, are 

 exceedingly soft and melodious ; but I noticed that they 

 differed somewhat this time from those I had heard on a 

 former visit, when I was nearly a month earlier in the year. 

 The notes I heard this time, so far as it is possible to tran- 

 scribe them on to paper, are as follows : — a prolonged twee, 

 and then a soft tee-wit-wdr, the last note in a lower key. 



I was unsuccessful in finding a nest of this species myself, 

 and, being pressed for a time, had to hurry home ; but on my 

 return I immediately sent back one of my men, accompanied 

 by Blanc, the taxidermist, with full instructions as to where 

 to hunt for nests. After two or three days of fruitless 

 search they finally succeeded in finding a nest, with three 

 fresh eggs in it, on the 15th May, near Bou-Chebka, on the 

 Hauts Plateaux, at an elevation of over 3000 feet above sea- 

 level. The hen bird was secured at the same time from off 

 the nest, which was placed at the foot of a tuft of wild 

 thyme, and sunk rather deeply into the ground. The nest, 

 which was brought me, together with the eggs, seems rather 

 small for the size of the bird, although of fair depth. It is 

 composed of soft bents, chiefly of Anthemis mixta, with 

 little or no lining. The eggs all differ somewhat one from 

 the other. The following is a description of them : — 



a. Glossy greyish- white ground, plentifully spotted, and 



blotched all over, but particularly at the larger end, 

 with grey shell-markings and yellow-brown surface- 

 spots. Measurements: 24x18 mm. 



b. Glossy greyish- white ground; shell-markings grey and 



very plentiful, surface-spots faint yellow-brown, and few. 

 Rather more thickly spotted at larger end. Shape 

 of this egg more pear-like than the others. Measure- 

 ments : 25 X 175 mm. 



