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freedom of the natives and the ostrich. We must never forget 
that where there is light there is shadow. General Marguerite 
tells us that he assisted at the killing of many dozens of this 
grand bird, of which nothing is left in Algeria but broken 
pieces of egg-shells. Must I add that there are no authentic 
skins of this wild bird of North Africa in collections ? 
The distribution of the small mammals of the desert is 
similar to that of the large ones, with this exception, that at 
least three species occur also on the High Plateaux and in the 
Tell. Of these the European house-mouse is no doubt of recent 
introduction, and its near ally, Mus algirus, evidently is 
restricted in the desert to the oases of the Oued Rhir, where it 
is much commoner than even in the Tell, for instance at 
Tougourt; this likewise may be an accidental immigrant 
of recent times, as the Saharan specimens (and their flea) 
are not different from those collected in Northern Algeria. 
The third species is Dipodillus campestris, ranging from the 
coast deep into the desert in several races. This species was 
very common at Djama, north of Tougourt, living together 
with Mus algirus in the walls built of palm fronds and mud 
around the palm-gardens. The mammal most characteristic 
for the sandy desert is Gerbillus hirtipes, a pretty species with 
ochreous upper- and white under-side. Its foot-prints are 
met with everywhere on the hillocks of sand formed around 
the bushes of Limoniastrum, on which the animal feeds, and 
the burrows in which it passes the day are in these hillocks, 
the inside of which is cool. 
The birds most in evidence near the settlements are 
undoubtedly the larks, beautifully adapted to the colouring 
of the ground on which they occur, as is the case with so many 
mammals and birds of the desert. In the palm oases, the palm 
dove and turtle dove are seen and heard, while the region of 
the Chotts is the home of the fine Hubara bustard. On the 
sand hillocks crowned with Tamarix or Limoniastrum may be 
seen some small desert birds like Oenanthe and Crateropus, and 
in the stony desert sand-grouse of different species occur. 
Reptiles are fairly well represented in the desert, all species 
of wide distribution, but often adapted in colouring to local 
conditions. The horned viper, which buries itself in the sand, 
only a portion of the head protruding, may become dangerous 
