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Mr. C. Barnby Smith,



nothing of the birds. The next day was very hot, I spent most

of it wandering among the Palm Gardens. Flying about the

rocks in the Gorge I saw several Kestiels, I believe both the

Common and Lesser occur here. I found Serins everywhere

pouring out their energetic little twitterings. I heard a loud,

whistling note from among the Palms, very likely the voice of

the Blue Rock Thrush. I saw one or two birds which I think

were Thrushes, one Swallow, a White Wagtail, a flock of Gold¬

finches, a Robin by some water among the Palms, also a few

Ultramarine Tits. At the Red Village, House Sparrows were

numerous, there were several House Buntings {Fringillarict

Sahara) on the outskirts, but at the smaller Black Village this

charming little bird was very common and tame, some of the

cock birds were singing away on the top of the mud walls, some

of their notes rather resembling those of a Canary ; at one place

I came across some cpiite away from the houses. Mr. Rothschild

told me that on a former visit he found a colony of Tree Creepers

right in the middle of the Palms, not at all the sort of place

where one would expect to find this species. I was glad to hear

that the Chough is still to be met with in the mountains. I

left El Kantara in the evening for Biska.


f To be continued).



ANOTHER NESTING FAILURE :


THE RUFOUS-THROATED TREE PARTRIDGE.


By C. Barnby Smith.


Watching birds at their nests is of great interest to me and

I considered myself fortunate when, during the holidays last

Easter, I was able to place a hammock chair in the garden in

such a position that I could see the nests of (i) Cayenne Spur¬

winged Plover, (2) Satyra Tragopan Pheasant, and (3) the Rufous-

throated Tree Partridge ( Arboricola rufigulatisj. It is of the

Partridge nest only that I am now writing notes.


As long ago as the end of last February, I noticed two of

these birds (then in a run with Tragopan Pheasants) very busy

pulling long pieces of grass about, and one feeding the other and



