BIBLIS RUPESTRIS 189 



uncommon, and may generally be found wherever there are sand-cliffs 

 or clay-banks bordering rivers and ponds. Its food is the same as 

 that of other members of the family, and it may sometimes be seen 

 hawking for gnats and other flying insects in the company of the 

 Common Swallow and the House-Martin. The present species 

 breeds in clay-banks and sand-cliffs, placing its nest at the extremity 

 of a hole or tunnel. The nest is composed of a little dry grass or 

 straw, lined with feathers, and the eggs, four to six in number, are 

 pure white and measure about 19 x 12 mm. 



Baron Erlanger met with the Sand-Martin breeding in company 

 with the House-Martin in the high sand-cliffs bordering the Oued 

 Kasrin (J. f. 0. 1899, p. 510). 



The description of a new species of Sand-Martin, Cotile mauri- 

 tanica, discovered by Mr. E. G. B. Meade- Waldo in Central Marocco, 

 in June, 1901, will be found in the Bulletin of the British Ornitho- 

 logists' Club, xii, p. 27. This new species appears to be nearest to 

 C. paludicola, VieilL, and C. minor, Cab., but is paler in coloration 

 and devoid of gloss. 



BIBLIS RUPESTRIS (Scopoli). 

 CKAG-MARTIN. 



Hirundo rupestris, Scojj. Ann. i. p. 167 (1769) ; Malherbe, Cat. Bais. 



d'Ois. Alg. p. 18 (1846). 

 Biblis rupestris. Lesson, Com])l. Buffon, viii, p. 495 (1837). 

 Cotile rupestris, Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. x, p. 109; Whitaher, 



Ibis, 1896, p. 95. 

 Cotyle rupestris, Erlanger, J.f. 0. 1899, p. 511. 

 Ptyonoprogne rupestris, Loche, Expl. Sci. Alg. Ois. ii, p. 68 (1867). 



Description. — Adult female, spring, from Source des Trois Palmiers, 

 Central Tunisia. 



Above pale mouse-brown, darker on the crown wings and tail, and paler 

 on the rump ; the inner web of all the tail-feathers, except the middle pair, 

 with a white oval patch, gradually decreasing in size, and smallest on the 

 outer pair ; chin whitish, spotted with light brown ; throat, sides of the 

 neck and breast dirty white ; rest of the underparts dusky light brown, 

 becoming darker on the crissum. 



Iris very dark brown ; bill dark brown ; feet pale brown. 



