The Zoologist— Mat, 1871. 2575 



march eastwards along the border of the desert, arriving at the 

 mountainous district in the direction of Ghemina, the celebrated 

 seat of the Kabyls, where human habitations may be seen sus- 

 pended, like swallows' nests, against perpendicular walls of rock. 

 When the country was surprised by the Arabs, the natives (the 

 Berberans) fled thither, and continue to reside there, in company 

 with vultures, rock pigeons, swifts and choughs. They are hauled 

 up to their dwellings by ropes. After this we came across the 

 mountain-chain of Aures to Lambessa, and at length to Balna. 



From Batna we made our way to Constantiue, along a succession 

 of salt-lakes lying to the north of the main route which joins the 

 above towns with one another. These lakes are known on account 

 of the abundance of flamingos and various other birds and water- 

 fowl. By reason of a continuance of bad weather, it was com- 

 paratively seldom that we could go out shooting ; another drawback 

 to us being the circumstance that the lakes were shallow and but 

 scantily covered with vegetation, so that, after the first shot, almost 

 all the birds took wing, not to return until the next day. One 

 could only count upon richer spoils from this region by making a 

 more protracted stay, which we were by no means invited to do by 

 the continuance of wet weather. The mountains in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Constantine were covered with snow on the 1st of 

 April. The wet weather lasted until we at length reached Philippe- 

 ville, where we remained till the middle of the month. 



The subjoined list contains all the species of birds which we 

 obtained in the above-mentioned districts, together with a small 

 number of such species as we saw and determined with certainty. 

 This list is incomplete, since, besides those species which pass the 

 winter elsewhere, not a few escaped our notice altogether. To the 

 fauna of this country we have added only two species, which no 

 one has hitherto observed. As far as the condition of the birds of 

 these regions is concerned generally, I came to the conclusion that 

 the greater number of insectivorous birds penetrate from Central 

 Europe further towards the south, whilst the birds peculiar to those 

 parts (such of them at least as are of a similar habit), as well as 

 those which inhabit the coasts of the Mediterranean, also winter 

 there. 



Notwithstanding the continuous heat which prevails in the desert, 

 the birds deport themselves just the same as they do with us during 

 the winter — they live gregariously, and their song is but seldom 



