during a Voyage to Alexandria, 743 



there are small bouses and gardens, but very few trees. 

 Here I saw a few Redstarts, Common Wlieatears, Wood- 

 Chats, Garden-Warblers, and Crested Larks, while Swallows, 

 House-Martins, and Swifts were numerous. The Sparrow 

 of Gibraltar appeared to be P. domesticus. Further up 

 the hillside the ground became broken with big boulders 

 and pleutifully covered by gorse and heather, which in 

 places was high. Bird-life was not abundant, but the two 

 commonest species were the Sardinian Warbler [Sylvia 

 melamcephala) and the Spectacled Warbler (Sylvia conspi- 

 cillatci). Both these birds have pretty warbling songs, and 

 the former in its habits much resembles the Common White- 

 throat, as it mounts up into the air and hovers, singing the 

 while; it also has a loud scolding note. Both these 

 species were evidently breeding, and were feeding their 

 young on beetles and other insects. Equally common was 

 the Stonechat {Pratlncola ruhicola), which was also nesting. 

 Compared with our British Stonechat at the same time of 

 year, this bird has much of the grey edgings to the 

 feathers of its back worn off, so that the upper parts 

 look almost black while the under parts are noticeably 

 paler. I saw^ one or two pairs of Black-throated Chats 

 {Saxicola occidentalis of Salvadori), but judging from their 

 organs they were not breeding ; a male had all the body- 

 feathers quite fresh, and had evidently not long moulted, 

 while the tail also looked quite new. Other birds which 

 Averc numerous were Kestrels, Spanish Ravens, and Gold- 

 finches. There were also some Nightingales which evidently 

 had just arrived ; they were very shy, skulking, and silent. 

 I witnessed an interesting arrival of Bee-eaters ; they 

 came in high up from over the Straits and went on inland to 

 the north, uttering their well-known call-note. Another 

 bird which I saw arrive from Africa was the Eared Chat 

 [Saxicola caterince of Whitaker). I saw it first as a speck 

 high up over Gibraltar : it gradually came nearer, and finally 

 pitched close to me on a rock ; the testes were fairly enlarged 

 and there were the remains of beetles in its gizzard. As 

 regards Vultures^ I saw several Neophron percnopterus, both 



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