Mr. .1. I. S. Whitaker on Tunisian Birdfi. 97 



other towns in the north of the Regency. I am told, however, 

 that it does not breed in the far south, occurring there only 

 on passage. I may here observe that I cannot hear of any 

 of the Swifts wintering anywhere in the Regency. 



23. Cypselus pallidus. (Dresser, B. of Europe, iv. 

 p. 597.) 



Mr. Aplin met with this species also at El Djem on the 

 20th April, when he secured a specimen, and he fell in with 

 it again a few days later at Kairouan, but no further inland. 

 At El Djem it was fairly plentiful, hawking for insects over 

 the old Roman Amphitheatre, and at Kairouan it simply 

 swarmed, being the common Swift of the place, and far out- 

 numbering C. apus, which was also present, as were also one 

 or two White-rumped Swifts, all circling round and aijout 

 the Great Mosque of Sidi-Okba. C. pallidus and C. apus 

 no doubt breed at both these places. Mr. Aplin appa- 

 rently had no difficulty in distinguishing one species from 

 the other, when on the wing in company. The note or 

 cry of C. pallidus also seemed to him diiferent from that of 



C. apus. 



I notice that Dr. Koenig found the present species in 

 Algeria, at Bordj Saada near Biskra (J. f. O. 1895, p. 184). 



24. Dendrocopus numidicus. (Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xviii. 

 p. 217.) 



Not at all uncommon in the high oak forests of Ghardiraaou, 

 at El Fedja, and in habits and alarm-note resembling 



D. major. Mr. Aplin thought he also once heard D. minor 

 in these woods, but was not quite certain about it. 



25. Gecinus vaillantii. (Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xviii. p. 41.) 

 Found in the same forests, but less numerous than the 



preceding species, and extremely shy and difficult to ap- 

 proach. The ringing' note of this bird resembles that of 

 our species, and is not so deep in tone as that of G. canus. 



26. Alcedo ispida. 



Specimens were obtained both by Mr. Aplin and M. Blanc. 

 The Kingfisher occurs both in the north and in the south of 



SER. VII. VOL. II. H 



