More Notes from North- West Ajrica.



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on I saw some Mistle Thrushes under some trees, and in a garden

among Orange and Lemon trees I saw a Robin looking almost as

fearless as at home, while Blackcaps and Sparrows flew about the

trees. I went on again to the Jardin d’Essai, but only identified

more Blackcaps and Blackbirds; this was a lovely day. All the

Sparrows seen clearly in Algiers were certainly domeslicus. Left

early next morning and reached Bougie about the middle of the

afternoon in brilliant sunshine. I at once started for a walk in

the direction of Cape Carbon, a rocky promontory jutting out

into the sea ; I noticed many Serins, a Robin, heard and saw

Blackbirds, saw a bird, apparently a large Falcon, dip down

behind a rock ; in the direction of an old fort, over the sea,

were circling what appeared to be a pair of Ospreys ( Pandion

haliaetus ), but they were a good way off. Ultramarine Tils and

Algerian Chaffinches were numerous among the trees, and a

Barbary Partridge got up almost under my feet from amongst

some rocks overlooking the sea. Just as it was getting dusk I

came to the base of a great cliff, Barbary Partridges were calling

on the lower slopes; high up an Irby’s Raven (jCorvus corax tingi-

tanus ) was heard, and presently I made it out silhouetted against

the sky as it sat 011 a rocky point, and looking no bigger than a

Starling, it began to soar round above the cliffs, and was joined

by three others ; then one flew into a small cave, and I thought

I heard the voices of young ones. A Falcon flew into a cleft of

the Rock ; the Falcon found inhabiting the cliffs of the Mediter¬

ranean Region is frequently the Lesser Peregrine (Falco panic us),

so that birds seen here may well have belonged to that race. A

Kestrel made its appearance, uttering shrill cries whenever a

Raven flew near to where, doubtless, it had its nest ; all this was

so interesting that I could not tear myself away until it was

nearly dark. During a short walk next morning I only saw

House Sparrows, a pair of Linnets by a Prickly Pear hedge, a

Robin in a Fig tree by the road-side and a White Wagtail.


Left Bougie just after 9 a.m. for the two days’ drive to

Setif; just after leaving the town saw two White Storks, as this

was just the time when these fine birds were arriving for the

summer, Martins, a Hawk, a large Bird of Prey in the distance,

perhaps a Black Kite. The road passes for some distance through



