72 BIRDS OF TUNISIA 



AEDON LUSCINIA (Liui:<Eus). 



NIGHTINGALE. 



Motacilla luscinia, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 328 (1766). 



Aedon luscinia, Forst. Syn. Cat. Brit. Birds, p. 53 (1817) ; Erlamjcr, 



J. f. 0. 1899, p. 213. 

 Erithacus luscinia, Seebohm, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. v, p. 294. 

 Luscinia philomela, MaUicrbe, Cat. Rais. d'Ois .4lg. p. 10 (1816). 

 Philomela luscinia, Loche, Expl. Sci. Alg. Ois. i, p. 227 (1867). 

 Luscinia minor, Kocnig, J.f. 0. 1888, p. 205; id. J. f. 0. 1892, p. 412. 

 Daulias luscinia, Mliitakcr, Ibis, 1895, p. 94. 



Description. — Adult male, spring, from Gafsa, South Tunisia. 



Above rich russet-brown, becoming more rufous on the rump and tail ; 

 below whitish-grey, darker on the sides and flanks, and lighter on the chin 

 and abdomen ; vent and under tail-coverts pale buff. 



Iris dark hazel ; bill brown ; feet purplish-brown. 



Total length 6'50 inches, wing 3'35, culmen -55, tarsus 1-05. 



Female similar to the male. 



The Nightingale is abundant during the spring migration through- 

 out the wooded parts of Northern and Central Tunisia, and in the 

 oases of the south of the Regency. In Algeria and Marocco the 

 species is also plentiful in spring, and from the latter country I have 

 examples obtained in the neighbourhood of the city of Marocco 

 during the month of May, when the birds were probably nesting. 

 From Tripoli I have specimens obtained in April. In some of the 

 Tunisian oases, and among the tamarisk thickets bordering the 

 southern Oueds, Nightingales are among the commonest birds to be 

 seen during the spring passage, and my morning strolls among the 

 magnificent palms and luxuriant orchards of the extensive Gafsa 

 oasis used to be rendered doubly pleasant by the wealth of bird-music 

 to be heard on every side. Unfortunately, many of these delightful 

 songsters fall victims to the Arab urchins, who trap the too confiding 

 birds by means of an ingenious contrivance made of palm leaf wicker- 

 work, with a bait placed below it. Numerous were the Nightingales 

 and other birds I used to release from these snares, much to the 

 astonishment of the natives, who failed to comprehend so irrational 

 a proceeding and such tender-heartedness on the part of one who had 

 como professedly for the purpose of collecting birds. 



