( '1 ) 



tlioy are more recent, though the end of tlie stone age in the Central Saliara would 

 probably have been much more recent than in Europe. Ostrich-eggs have doubtless 

 always been objects of a certain value and of barter. They could and can be carried 

 for weeks fresh to eat, and would be taken to the camp to be cooked. The empty 

 shells are useful for ornament, and used to be placed on houses, graves and mosques 

 (see Tristram, Ihis, 1800, p. 75), and necklaces are made from small pieces. Most 

 of the pieces of necklaces are more or less round (fig. 1) : others square (fig. 2). 



® 



Fig. 1. Fig. 2. 



Similar necklaces of ostrich egg-shells are nowadays worn by the native women 

 in German South-West Africa. 



The most recent egg-pieces we found were those which Mr. Rothschild and I 

 picked up between El-Oued and Touggourt, in 1909; in fact, these are so fresh and 

 well-preserved, even in colour, that they might be only a few years old. Somewhat 

 older and more coffee-brown on both sides are those found by Carlo von Erlanger 

 in S.E. Tunisia; and still older, more or less brown and half-fossilised, the upper 

 surface deeply pitted, are those we collected in the Erg-bent-Chaonli, near El- 

 Meksa. Hilgert found some south of Biskra, which appear to be of various ages ; 

 they were partly put together in little heaps, apparently by children, and left or 

 forgotten. Fragments from Foggaret-es-Zoua (Tidikelt) are very difierent : they 

 are worn quite thin, and the edges rounded off; the different appearance is 

 probably due to the very different, much coarser sand of Tidikelt. 



That the colour is due to the influence of the atmosphere is shown by some 

 pieces in which the underside, which was turned upwards, is brown, while the 

 npperside had remained light, others being brown above and light below, or brown 

 or light above and below. 



125. Psammornis rothschildi Andrews. 



Andrews, Verh. V. Int. Oni.-Koii(/r. pp. U,9-\TA : A'oi'. Ziml. xviii. ^iM. 



Fragments of egg-shells perfectly similar to the types of Psammornis rot/t- 

 schildi were collected by Hilgert near Biskra, together with Ostrich-egg-shells, 

 and this year in various places between Onargla and El-Golea. Some of these 

 are less thick than the rest, bnt otherwise alike. Tiie thinner ones may perhaps 

 have been produced by some last degenerated individuals of the lost race, or be 

 otherwise abnormal. Some are so much in the same state of preservation as some 

 of Struthio cnme.bts that they (together with the fact that they are found every- 

 where with fragments of shells of recent ostriches) disprove the theory, alluded 

 to by Ur. Andrews, that they might be brought up from a considerable de])th 

 during the digging of the well. All are brown of various shades, bnt the 

 majority are of a very deep brown, darker than most of the darkest ostrich-egg 

 fragments. 



It is to be hojjed that some day bone of PsammoiHis rotliscldldi will be 

 diBCOvered, to show what^ this liirj was like. 



