( 63 ) 



[Gi/pactus barbatm atlantis was not observed south of EI-Kantara and Biskra, 

 and cannot be called an inhabitant of the real Sahara. The same is to be said 

 of Aquila cfirysactus.'] 



83. Buteo ferox cirtensis (Lev.). 

 Cf. Xui'. Ziiol. xviii. p. 5.35. 



Observed as far south as Ain Guettara, where also old nests were found. 

 Entirely restricted to mountainous places with high and steep cliffs. Young 

 birds about half-grown were brought to El-Golea on May 17. A nest with young 

 was discovered on the 20th, which was easily accessible. It contained two young, 

 almost ready to leave the nest. An old bird, wliich to our great surprise was 

 found to be a male, was shot while bringing food. Though Hilgert sat well 

 concealed in a hut built of stones and Retam branches until dusk, no other bird 

 appeared ; we therefore supposed that the female had perished, as it could not 

 have been such a bad mother as to leave the young alone from 11 a.m. till 8 o'clock 

 at night. Of the young ones, we skinned one, the largest, and kept the smaller 

 one alive. Together with a young Falcon and another Buzzard which we had 

 brought with us from El-Goloa, it gave us much amusement. The Buzzards 

 were fierce and obstinate; they refused food for a few days, threw themselves 

 on the back and fought with their claws when one approached them ; they were 

 wide-awake and active, running away in the open desert and climbing rocks when 

 near the tent; they also tried to rob the Falcon of its food, but they were generally 

 silent. The Falcon, on the other hand, was gentle and tame, fed the first day 

 we had him, and kept up a loud cry often for hours. As a rale they did not 

 drink, but during the broiling hot days of the second half of May they began 

 eagerly to drink and to bathe, like the Falcon, when opportunity was given. 



We shot two old males, one with the uniform reddish tail of an adult bird, 

 though there is a greyish tinge at the base ; the other with a faint subterminal 

 blackish bar and traces of bars on the outer pair of rectrices. 



The young birds resemble tlie adult ones in the blackish brown uppersido 

 with wide rufous edges to the feathers; the underside is cinnamon-butf, with wide 

 brown streaks on the sides of the breast ; tail rufous, widely barred with blackish 

 brown. 



is4. Milvus korschun korschun (Gm.). 

 Cf. Noi-. Zoiil. .wiii. p. 536. 



Found in the desert wherever hills and rocks are near, as far south as the 

 southernmost Cued Mya, but everywhere very scarce, and generally seen singly 

 or in pairs. 



Three eggs were taken on a clay hill with a steei> escarpment near the Hassi 

 e!-Hadjar, between Uuargla and El-Golea, already hard-set, on March 17. Au 

 adult male was shot in tiie soutiiernmost bend of the Oued Mya. 



8.5. *Cirous macrourus (Gm.). 



Cf. Noi-. Ziiiil. xviii. p. h'M'i. 



1 do not remember having seen this Harrier more tlian once — i.r. April 3, 

 U»12, when one or two were seen hunting Short-toed Larks in the Oued Saret. 

 1 shot one, whicli, though cinnamon niiileracath and earth-ljrown above, proved 

 to be a male, with very small, narrow, elongated testicles. 



