( •'■' ) 



Larks of any kind occur ! From Koenig'.s work it, was left iiQcertaiii whether any were 

 foniid near Onarghi, but there are evidently none. We have in vain searched for 

 them around Onargla, and from inquiries made too, it is evident that no Galfrida 

 is found there. As I have said before, tlie last Galerida cristata were seen at Bled- 

 el-Ahmar, south of Tonggourt. This was the first of our feathered friends from 

 the northern desert to disajjpear, but many others were soon to follow. 



Having at last arrived at the village, we found the Bordj had collapsed, only 

 an ojjen verandah and one room remaining standing. This welcome shelter we 

 occupied, and praised our luck that we had not encountered this weather yesterday 

 among the open sand-dunes of Arefidji ; for the gale came in heavy gusts, and the 

 air was thick. We were just skinning our birds when a military doctor from 

 Ouargla arrived on his way to Morocco, rii'i Biskra and Alger, with whom we had 

 to share the room, which was just big enough for three. 



The gale diminished after midnight, and when we awoke in the morning it was 

 quite calm. 



Yesterday we had practically seen the first migratory liirds, and from now 

 not many days passed without migrants lieing observed. To-day, March 8, we noticed 

 Calundrella brachjclacti/la, numerous Plii/lloscoptis (apparently all colli/bita), and 

 Motacilla alba. We rode as far as Ouargla, all the way through sand and sebcha 

 recently covered with sand, and before Ouargla we had to cross very high dunes of 

 a warm rnfons colour, though this reddish hue was only due to a layer of red 

 sand covering the usual whitish yellow dunes. Passer simplex sahai-KC was again 

 met with. 



Arriving at eleven o'clock on the crest of tlie dunes, we saw Ouargla before ua 

 in the distance, with a wide sheet of water to the left of the town; but it was still 

 a long and weary ride over a lifeless and absolutely uninteresting sebcha before 

 we reached the town, where we found primitive but tolerable accommodation in 

 Monsieur frisson's hotel. 



Ouargla (or Wargla) is an old town with an interesting history, but not a good 

 place for a zoologist, especially when he has to stay in the middle of the place, as 

 we were obliged to do, our chief object here being to complete our caravan and to 

 begin the march southwards. Down to Ouargla some zoological collecting had 

 been done, sonth of it next ti) nothing. Koenig had visited Onargla, and with him 

 Dr. Kranss, who collected some insects ; Lataste had done good work here, with 

 his usual energy and success ; and others had no doubt been there, since it is not 

 very difficult to reach the place. 



No zoologist had, to my knowledge, ever been south of Ouargla. 

 Onargla was founded many centuries ago by Berbers and Jews, and it is now 

 chiefly inhabited by Arabs of various tribes — Chaamba (an ancient Berber tribe), 

 and " hartani " (descendants of liberated slaves from the Western Sudan), with an 

 admi.Kture of Jews converted to Islam in ancient times. All these races are mor<! 

 or less mixed, and not easily recognised by a stranger, especially as most of the 

 Berbers are very black, resulting from the numerous negro women they used to 

 marry in the times of their raids on the Sudan tribes, and the darkening of their 

 skin is also favoured by the climate. There are also some M'zabites, who keej) 

 shops ; and to the latter belong many of the date-palms, though others are claimed 

 by the C!haamba, who come here in great numbers in the autumn for the date-crop. 

 Thus only a fifth or so remains for the actual cultivators of the gardens, the 

 " haralins," who very seldom are owners of any property at all. In former times 



