from Morocco and the Great Atlas. 20.'J 



lower scrub, and the Desert Warbler (Sylvia deserticola) in 

 the high cistus-scrub above the forest. Both the Moorish 

 Woodpeckers, Gecinus vaillanti and Picus maurit aniens' 

 abounded, the former even far out on the open mountain-side. 

 The Jay (Garrulus minor) and the Moorish Magpie were 

 both very common, especially the former, the Magpie not 

 appearing to ascend nearly so high in the mountains. The 

 Wood-Lark (Alanda arborea) was fairly common on the upper 

 edges of the forest, and this was the only place in the Atlas 

 where I saw the Alpine Swift. Both the Robin and the 

 Common Wren (Troglodytes parvulus) were abundant in the 

 moister valleys, but it was three weeks before I could get a 

 specimen of the latter, owing to the thickness of the wood 

 and the impossibility of getting far enough away. The Rock- 

 Thrnsh (Monticola saxatilis) occurred on the stony parts 

 above the forest, and the Blue Rock-Thrush (M. cyanus) in 

 the rocks below. 



Of game-birds I saw only the Barbary Partridge, which 

 positively swarmed everywhere — females with young of very 

 different ages, not accompanied by the male as a rule ; there 

 were also many packs of old birds. 



Birds of prey did not strike me as particularly numerous. 

 I saw Hobbies, Sparrow-Hawks, Snake-Eagles (Circaetus 

 yallicus), and a Golden Eagle being mobbed by two Bonelli's 

 Eagles. With the exception of the Neophron, I saw no Vul- 

 tures ; that species, however, was exceedingly common. The 

 Black Kite was always to be seen, but in no great numbers ; 

 and the Common Kestrel outnumbered the Little Kestrel 

 of the plains. Red Kites were rare, much more so than in 

 the mountainous districts of the north of Morocco. 



From Sould Jeclid we struck westward into the Imnentalla 

 valley, and spent some days there, but nothing of special 

 interest occurred. I worked a very fine patch of forest to 

 the Avest, some of it quite primaeval, and also saw the only 

 pine-trees (Pinus halipensis) that I met with j but, with the 

 exception of the Honey-Buzzard, I found no bird that I had 

 not seen on Tsauritz Entsagauz. It was too dry for Wrens, 

 but I saw a few Robins, and found nests of the Serpent- 



