42 BIRDS OF TUNISIA 



unpleasant song. The call note is particularly sweet. The food of 

 this Chat, like that of other insectivorous birds inhabiting Southern 

 Tunisia, consists largelj' of coleoptera, of which there is an extra- 

 ordinary abundance in these southern regions. 



S. deserti is an early breeder, nests and eggs being commonly 

 found in March, although its nesting continues throughout April 

 and May, and second broods are probably frequent. As a rule the 

 nest is placed in a hole in the ground, or in a mound of earth, at the 

 foot of some shrub, the deserted burrows of small rodents being often 

 used for the purpose. The nest is built of dry grasses and root- 

 fibres, lined with wool or hair. The eggs are usually four or five in 

 number and of a greenish-blue colour, spotted with violet and reddish- 

 brown. Average measurements 20 X 15 mm. 



SAXICOLA MCESTA, Lichtenstein. 

 TRISTEAM'S CHAT. 



Saxicola moesta, Liclit. Vcrz. Doiibl. p. 33 (182.3) ; Seebohm, Cat. Birds 

 Brit. Mus. v, p. 382 ; Koenig, J. f. 0. 1893, p. 16 ; Whitaker, Ibis, 1894, 

 p. 86 ; id. Ibis, 1898, p. 129 ; Erlaiiger, J. f. 0. 1899, p. 234. 



Dromolsea isabellina, Loche, Expl. Sci. Alg. Ois. i, p. 201 (1867). 



Description. — Adult male, spring, from Eas-el-Aioum, South Tunisia. 



Forehead, crown and nape hoary white, becoming greyer on the top 

 of the crown ; back and scapulars smoke-black, shading into dark grey on 

 the lower back ; rump and upper tail-coverts whitish, with a rufescent 

 tinge ; the two central reotrices pale rufous at the base, otherwise dark 

 brown, the remaining tail-feathers rufous on the basal half and dark brown 

 on the terminal half ; primaries and secondaries brown, the outer wel)s 

 being fringed with white ; upper wing-coverts smoke-black, broadly fringed 

 with white ; lores and a line over the eye, ear-coverts, upper and lower 

 throat, neck and sides of breast smoke-black ; breast and abdomen pure 

 white ; under tail-coverts very pale rufescent. 



Iris dark hazel ; bill and feet black. 



Total length, 6-75 inches, wing 3-75, culmen -70, tarsus 1-1.5. 



Adult female, spring, from Oglet-Zelles, South Tunisia. 



Forehead, crown, nape and ear-coverts light rufous, superciliary stripes 

 rather paler ; back and scapulars sandy isabelline grey ; rump and upper 

 tail-coverts pale rufescent ; tail and wings as in the male, but rather paler, 

 and the wing-edges rufescent and not white ; underparts whitish, tinged 



