]Mr. J. J. S. Wliitaker on some Tunisian Birds. 85 



and therefore unlikely ground for mouflon, I determined 

 to leave again tlie following day and return to Feriana and 

 Kasrin by the most direct road possible. After considerable 

 difficulty I succeeded in finding a native who thought he 

 knew the way to Feriana across country, although he said 

 we must in any case retrace our steps as far as Mides, and on 

 the 18th of March we turned our backs on the desert and 

 encamped that evening close to the frontier. En route I 

 shot a few Sand-Grouse (Pterocles arenarius) and Stone- 

 Plovers [QLdicnemus crepitans), also a couple of Alcemon 

 alaudipes. P. arenarius was in large flocks on these plains, 

 often over a hundred birds in a flock. 



On the 19th of March we travelled in a N.E. direction, 

 and, passing through some pretty country and plains covered 

 with white genista, encamped about sunset near the Djebel 

 Sgrega. Daring the day I saw few birds of any interest, 

 and nothing new to us except Asio accipitrinus. 



On the 20th of March we made a forced march of fourteen 

 hours and arrived at Feriana late in the evening, having 

 gone several miles out of our wa}^, thanks to our guide's 

 want of knowledge of the country ! After a clay's rest at 

 Feriana we left again for Kasrin, and soon after starting, 

 and within a mile or so of the town, I suddenly came on a 

 pair of Great Bustards {Otis tarda) within 30 yards of tne. 

 Unfortunately I was not prepared for such royal game, and 

 so lost a fine chance. With the exception of these and 

 numberless Kestrels, which accompanied us the greater part 

 of the way to Kasrin, perching on the telegraph-wires along 

 the roadside, we saw little else in the way of birds. 



The next few days I spent on Djebel Selloum after 

 mouflon, and on the 26th of March I left again for Tebessa, 

 where I arrived on the 28th after very slow travelling, the 

 clay plains being almost impracticable owing to some heavy 

 rains, the first we had had during our journey. On these 

 plains I saw large flocks of Otis tetrax, evidently fresh arrivals, 

 a few specimens of Plcrocles arenarius, some Ravens, and some 

 Egyptian Vultures. The following day I returned to Tunis 

 just in time to catch the weekly Italian steamer for Mcily. 



