(27 ) 



In Tonsgonrt we stopped only two days. We found that nobody wanted 

 camels, so we left them in charge of Monsieur Henry Chazelles, to be sold in 

 December, and we took the diligence to Biskra, sending tlie caravan on in charge 

 of the trustworthy Ahmed-ben-Na'ili. 



While at Touggourt it struck me as remarkable that there were hardly more 

 flies than four monUis ago, and certainly much fewer than in April 1909, when we 

 were told, that what we saw was nothing compared with the plague of flies in 

 autumn. AVe were now informed that the flies diminish greatly in the summer, 

 but only to come out in renewed force in September and October. This seems to be 

 a parallel case to that of the irritating sand-flies, Leptocomps hertrnzi, which were 

 L serious plague in Onrir in February, while not a single one was noticed there in 

 June Flies°are, of course, nuraerons in the Sahara, to such an extent that in many 

 oases at certain times, one cannot live in peace during the daytime, except in 

 perfectly darkened rooms. They are, naturally, most plentiful in the oases, but 

 there are also plenty near wells and old resting-places, and they travel with the 

 caravans in great swarms, many perishing and being blown away by the wind on 

 the march, until new ones are picked up in another oasis. 



While I was occnpied with paying off most of our men, and other business 

 matters, I sent Hilgert to explore the oasis, and he observed the following birds 

 breeding among the palms, and no others: Turttir tartiir arenicola, Turtur 

 seneqaUnsis aegyptius, Fako flnnunculus, Lanias cxcuhltor elojans, Ihppolan 

 reiseri Sparrows, and, on houses, Ckelidon rusUca m small numbers. 



The diligence took us to Mraier, where we stayed most of the day, observing 

 in the oasis both species of Turtledoves, Ilippolnis reiseri, and Sparrows. 



Durino- the second night we drove to Biskra, seeing a number of Caprinnlyiis 

 aeMVptius fn the dusk and early morning. It began to dawn when we changed 

 horses for the last time, at Bordj Saada, and the most glorious sunrise ever seeu- 

 the sun coming up over the Djebel Amarkhaddou in the east and colouring with 

 ever-chano-ing tints the sky and the range of the Djebel bon-Ghezal in the west- 

 ushered us into dear old Biskra, where we found comfortable quarters m the 

 " Hotel des Zibans," most of the other hotels being closed in June. 



We took pains to tiud out which birds actually remained to breed in Biskra, 

 and for this purpose we made several excursions into the oasis and gaixleus, 

 as formerly we had never stayed late enough to be quite sure. We found the 

 following species only nesting in Biskra : both species of Turtledoves ; Kestrels ; 

 Ota. srops, and (on the river-banks) Athene noctua mharae ; Apm mnnnas 

 brekmorum-^om^iiraz^ seen in great numbers, though we did not tind a breeding- 

 place ; Sparrows in very great numbers; Car<lueli>^ ranludos afncana airly 

 common, but not in very great numbers; Tardus mcrula maaretamcus ; 1 artcs 

 raendem ultnunarlnus, not rare; Ilippolais reiseri, by no means rare. Serums 

 was absent, though we saw it commonly hi winter. It is evidently only a winter 

 visitor, and breeds farther north. 



On the 20th we bade adieu to Biskra, on the next morning arrived m Alger, 

 and on June 27 I reached Old England and Tring, my home. 



