LA OLIVA 25 



goats' hair and some pieces of woollen stuff matching the 

 eggs in colour. Where the birds had not been able to 

 suit themselves with such accessories to the lining there 

 was always coloured hair or wool to match the eggs. 



I remember reading an article in " Nature " some 

 years ago on the subject of the same peculiarity of 

 colour-matching in the nests and eggs of the Red-backed 

 Shrike in England. Certainly in the case of the 

 Algerian Grey Shrike the markings of salmon-clay 

 colour on the eggs were reproduced in every shade in 

 the lining of the nest. Four eggs seemed to be the 

 usual number. 



The birds were very tame at the nest, and would fly 

 away a little distance and then appear at the top of a 

 slender tree, which bent down w r ith their weight as they 

 balanced themselves ; they never left off that sideways 

 swirl of the tail peculiar to all the Shrikes, as they 

 swung to and fro on the tree, and would put their heads 

 on one side and watch my preparations with the camera. 



The Alcairon has a curious way of appearing and 

 re-appearing on the top of some conspicuous plant or 

 low tree, and you may not be aware of its presence at 

 all until you hear a loud ckack and look up to find the 

 bird regarding you critically ; then it generally takes 

 flight to a short distance to work its way unperceived 

 to some other "look-out station," in order that another 

 surprise may be prepared for you. 



The following day was equally windy though less 

 wet, so we went out again taking a different direction 

 to that in which we had gone before. We soon saw a 

 Courser running among the stones away from the path 

 which we were following, after which it took wing for 



