] 98 On Birds from A Igeria. 



It then went off again, but soon returned and flew straight 

 to the nest. It proved to he the male. Its crop contained 

 a snake (Tropidonotus viperinus) about eighteen inches 

 long, apparently uninjured. Mr. Pycraft has very kindly 

 dissected this snake, and finds that, although there is no 

 exterior injury apparent, the base of the skull has been 

 fractured as well as the first two vertebrae. Mr. Pycraft 

 thinks that this injury must have been caused by the beak 

 of the bird. 



Accipiter nisus (L.). 



Accipiter nisus punicus Erlanger, Orn. Monatsb. 1897, 

 p. 192. 



? ad. H. R'llira, April 15. 



? ad. Near Les Glacieres (6600 feet), May 11. 



Both these females are bluer than usual on the upper side. 

 The wings measure 9| inches. 1 can see no difference, such 

 as described by von Erlanger, between the male bird from 

 Algeria and that from Europe, but I have not had mauy 

 Algerian specimens for comparison. 



The ovaries of these two birds contained large eggs, and I 

 think there is no doubt that they were nesting. 



Caccabis petrosa (Gm.). 



J ad. II. Meskoutine, March 17. 



$ ad. II. Meskoutine, April 6. 



The Barbary Partridge was everywhere present, and was 

 especially common at H. Meskoutine. 



COTURNIX COMMUNIS Bonn. 



S ad. II. Meskoutine, March 19. 



Quails were plentiful at Biskra at the beginning of March, 

 while there were a few at H. Meskoutine and also at 

 H. R'Hira. 



It may be of some interest to add the following scanty 

 notes regarding a few of the migratory birds of which I did 

 not obtain specimens : — 



Cuckoo first seen on April 6. H. Meskoutine. 



Golden Oriole first seen on April 21. H. R'Hira. 



Common Bee-eater first seen on May 1. H. R/Hira. 



