(57 ) 



and the one down the well of Marroket. The nest consists of fine stems of varions 

 small plants, jiieces of wool and hair, ontside some thicker stems and iibres, and 

 is laid out with hair and wool of sheep and hares. The unmber of eggs is nsiiall)' 

 three, but sometimes two only. 



The yonng bird apjiears to have always a black crown, at least we have never 

 seen one with even one white feather on the head ; the central rectrices have white 

 ends, the lateral ones apparently always black spots ; the plumage is dull sooty 

 blackish, with brownish-white tips to the feathers of the abdomen and whitish 

 tips to the larger npper wing-coverts. Onr recent observations have convinced us 

 that, in fact, the majority of ohl birds pnt on a white cap. Most of the entirely 

 black-headed birds we shot have brownish qnills, showing that they are only birds 

 of last year; south of El-Golea we have only once seen black-crowned birds — 

 i.e. a pair not far from Hassi Marroket. Near (.{hardaia, however, snch specimens 

 were not rarely observed, but very few seem to breed in that plnmage and to 

 be really quite old birds ; in the few cases where black-headed birds had j)aireil 

 and bred the male as well as the female had black heads, as observed by Koenig 

 long before us. 



(5(1. *Saxicola torquatus rubicola (L.). 



{Praiincola lubicohi anct.) 

 Cf. Xnr. Znol. xviii. p. hV.K 



We only recognised a single individual on Ajjril 12, in the Southern Oned Mya 

 region, which was not sliot. 



Evidently the Stonechat is not a common, and perh.-ips not even regular. 

 migrant through the Sahara, but appears to winter principally in the northern 

 parts of Algeria, and in Africa Minor generally, also in Egypt. 



Reichenow, Vi'iy. A/'r. iii. p. 732, records onlvthe following localities in tropical 

 Africa : Beni-Amer, teste Heuglin, Kiknju and Nandi (specimens collected by 

 Dr. Ansorge in Tring), Naiwasha Lake, collected by Fischer, Senegal, according 

 to statement of Swainson, and Fernand Vaz (Gaboon), teste Marche and Comp. 



61. *Saxicola rubeti-a spatzi Erl. 



{Prafiiicola ruhefra siiatzi auct.) 

 Cf. A'^r,!-. Zonl. xviii. p. 519. 



Was observed frequently passing through the S;ihara iVom April 12 to tlie end 

 of that month, and even as late as May 12 and 16 several sjiecimens were observed 

 and two females shot on the 12th, no male being seen that day. 



The four specimens which we collected (15. iv., 30. iv., 12. v.) are nil of the 

 pale form called -S'. r. spatzi, like all those shot in Algeria in former years. 



62. * Phoenicurus phoenicurus phoenicurus (L.j. 



(Jf. Xiir. y.iii,}, xviii. p. UV.I. 



On March 20, about 1S4 km. south of Ouargla, an old male was observed, 

 and a fair number were frequenting the gardens of El-Golea from March 27 to 3n. 

 After that a few were seen on April 30 in the Sonthern Mya, on May 1 in the sauu' 

 region, on May 14 and 17 in the gardens of El-Oolea, ami cm .Tune ."i in the Imshes 

 of the Oued Nca. 



The s[i('cimens collccled at l';i-(iiili'a iii'c typical /'. /'. iilnti'iiii'iifiia. 



