184 Mr. H. F. Witherby on 



RUTICILLA PHCRNICURUS (L.). 



$ ad. H. Meskoutine, Marcli 26. 

 S ad. H. R'Hira, April 17. 



Redstarts were fairly common. A nest contained five 

 eggs near H. Meskoutine on April 3rd. 



CVANECULA SUECICA (L.). 



? ad. H. Meskoutine, April 4. 



A female was the only specimen secured, and I presume 

 that it belongs to the red-spotted form of the Bluethroat, a 

 male of which I saw at Biskra. 



Erithacus rubecula (L.). 



No. 50. S ad. H. Meskoutine, March 27. 

 ? ad., <J ad. II. R'Hira, April 15 & 27. 



d ad., S ad. Lcs Glacieres, May 9 & 14. 



No. 50 is distinctly different from the other specimens. 

 It has a considerably shorter wing and a shorter and thicker 

 bill. It seems to agree, in fact, with the English Robin 

 (E. r. melophilus). 



That it should be different from the other specimens is 

 not remarkable, because at the time that I shot it I thought 

 it must be a migrating bird by its habits. It was also 

 extremely fat. The other four specimens were undoubtedly 

 resident and breeding in the country. They are puzzling, 

 and an examination of a series of the resident Algerian 

 Robin may lead to its separation as a geographical race. 

 My specimens are richly coloured on the breast and dark 

 on the back, like the English bird, and unlike the typical 

 Robin, but they have short wings (measuring in the males 

 G90-700 mm.) and longer and finer beaks. 



Robins were common in the Atlas region, especially in 

 thick woods. They were rather wild and skulking in 

 their habits. A nest in a niche of a cedar-trunk at an 

 altitude of 5500 feet was nearly finished on May 20th. 

 They appear to be late breeders in Algeria, for I saw no 

 young. 



Sylvia cinerea Bechst. 



cJ ad. H. Meskoutine, April 4. 



I did not notice the Whitethroat before April 4, but after 



