(59 ) 



We were anxiously lookin,"- ont for any resident Swallows in the sontii. 

 Rohlfs, who — though without any knowledge of zoology — was a most trustworthy 

 explorer, says in his work, Reise dtvch Marokko, etc., 1868, p. 143, and 2nd edition, 

 1869, p. 164, that in the oases of Tuat a kind of House Swallow was sedentary, 

 winter and summer, which had a square tail and grey plumage. There was no sign 

 of snoh a bird in Tidikelt, and I was assured that all kinds of Swallows were only 

 known as migrants in autumn and spring. I suppose llohlfs saw Sand-Martins, 

 and was wrongly informed that they bred in the oases. 



68. Apus murinus brehmorum Hart. (?) 



Cf. Nor. Zool. xviii. p. 523. 



We saw a few Swifts only, in two places : at Guerrara and at El-Alia, 8(1 km. 

 south of Touggonrt. 



In the first place three or four were seen just before dnsk over the town, and 

 a pair next day on some rocks east of the place, of which we succeeded in shooting 

 one, on June 7. Half a dozen or so caught insects at El-Alia, 80 km. sonth of 

 Tonggonrt, on Jnne 9, in the late afternoon, and of these too we were able to get 

 one. We cannot doubt that the latter were nesting near by, and we are sure that 

 the pair of June 7 nested somewhere on the rocks. 



None were seen afterwards, except at Biskra, where dozens came on certain 

 evenings and flew round the huge chimney of the electric works, near the 

 station. 



The two we skinned are so pale that they could bo taken for A. ni. imirinns, 

 and the one from Bl-Alia is lighter than the Guerrara specimen. One from 

 Cape Blanco (south of Rio de Oro) and three from the jjlain south of Biskra 

 are equally pale, while one from Alger is much darker 1 Perhaps more material 

 will prove that the birds breeding south of the Atlas are all paler, and either 

 A. m. murinus or an intermediate form ? 



69. *Caprimulgus europaeus meridionalis Hart. 



Cf. N.„-. Znnl. xviii. p. hii. 



A single male was found in the gardens of El-Golea on May 14. It belongs 

 to the pale Mediterranean form, though the wing measures 189 mm. 



A male was seen at Igosten on April 23, which looked very black and large, 

 and of which I have no doubt that it was C. e. europaeus. I saw it on a palm-leaf 

 close to me, bnt it was afterwards so shy that I could not get near enough to shoot 

 it with tiie small walking-stick gun, which was generally sufficient for collecting 

 in the gardens, where firing with a twelve-bore was not desirable, because the shut, 

 damaged the dates and the noise frightened young and old. 



70. *Caprimulgiis ruficoUis desertorum Erl. 



Cf. Nui\ Zonl. xviii. p. h'l''>. 



There must have been i[uite a migration through the Sahara towards the 

 middle of May. 



A female was found in the open stony desert on May 11, 4s km. south of 

 El-(iolea, a male flew round the camp on i\w. 12th, 21) km. south of El-Golea, 

 and another male was shot in the gardens ol' tiuit oasis on the 14tli. None were 

 seen in the Oned Nca, and there can be little ilonbt that this species does not breed 

 in tiie desert. 



