126 BIRDS OF TUNISIA 



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



Above sandy-grey, the crown with greyish-brown striations ; wings and 

 tail brown, margined with greyishisabelline, the latter very long ; super- 

 ciliary streak extending from the base of the bill over the eye pale 

 isabelline ; entire underparts whitish, tinged with isabelline-grey on the 

 sides and flanks. 



Iris pale yellow ; bill and feet yellowish-flesh colour. 



Total length 4 inches, wing 1-80, culmen -35, tarsus -70. 



Adult female similar to the male. 



Observations. — The winter plumage of the species is rather darker and 

 less isabelline. 



This little bird, the western representative of S. ivquieta (Cretz- 

 schm.), may be easily distinguished from that species by its paler 

 isabelline colour and smaller size. It seems to be strictly a desert 

 species, never, so far as I am aware, occurring north of the Atlas 

 Mountains. In most of the South Tunisian districts, however, it is 

 of common occurrence, frequenting both the semi-desert stony plains 

 and the Chott or Sebkha country, where it, and perhaps one or two 

 species of Saxicola, are often the only representives of bird-life during 

 a considerable portion of the year. 



In the Regency I have met with the present species in certain 

 numbers on the plains lying to the west of Gafsa, but it seems to be 

 more abundant south of the Chott Djerid, where in some localities 

 it is indeed plentiful. 



In the Algerian Sahara I have found S- sahara abundant on the 

 stony plains lying to the east of Biskra. From Tripoli and Cyrenaica 

 also I have numerous examples of the species, which were obtained 

 between April and August. From Marocco I have no note of its 

 occurrence, but it may occur in some of the more inland desert 

 districts in the south, where the character of the country probably 

 resembles that of the Algerian and Tunisian Sahara. 



S. saharcB is a characteristic bird of the semi-desert region where 

 a scrub vegetation prevails, and it is probably rarely, if ever, seen 

 except in that description of country. 



Extremely shy and timid, this diminutive Warbler will, on the 

 approach of danger, dive into the middle of a desert bush, seeking to 

 hide itself there and escape notice, and should the bush be a large 

 and thick one, the little bird is not easily dislodged from its retreat. 



