Vol. xxvii.] 90 



Mr. E. G. B. Meade-Waldo gave a short account of 

 some months recently spent in Algeria. He said that when 

 at Biskra he had been much interested in watching the 

 bone-breaking habits of the Lammergeier [Gypaetus bar- 

 hatus), and described how it was frequently waited on and 

 robbed by the Ravens [Corvus tingitanus), which^ descending 

 swiftly, carried off the broken marrow-bone before the 

 Lammergeier had time to reach it. The Dartford Warbler 

 (Melizophilus undatus) and the Wood-Warbler [Phylloscopus 

 sibilatrix) were observed on migration. Great numbers 

 of Dotterel (Eudromias morinellus) frequented the half- 

 cultivated ground and were extraordinarily tame, scarcely 

 taking the trouble to avoid the horse's feet. Notwith- 

 standing the abundance of food-supplies round Biskra, 

 in the shape of dead animals, the larger Vultures were 

 remarkably scarce. 



At Hammam Meskoutine a wonderful amount of bird- 

 life was observed. The Hawfinch {Coccothraustes buvryi, 

 Cab.) was very numerous, and constantly to be found 

 feeding on the olive-seed, and the resident race of Wryneck 

 (lynx maitretanica, Roths.) was common, the difference in 

 call from that of our British Wryneck being very noticeable. 

 The Woodchat Shrike (Lmiius pomeranus) was abundant, 

 also the Barbary Partridge {Caccabis petrosd), and raptorial 

 birds were well represented both in numbers and in species. 

 Nearly full-fledged young of the Griffon Vulture were noted 

 on the 31st of March, which seemed an unusually early 

 date. 



He visited Bone, on Lake Fetzara, a swampy lake of 

 some 37,300 acres, and found Waterfowl of many kinds 

 extremely plentiful, especially Coots and Purple Gallinules 

 [Porphyrio cceruhus) . The latter took wing readily, and their 

 flight was both light and slow. He also saw the following 

 species of Ducks : — Tufted, Pochard, White-eyed, Gadwall, 

 Shoveler, Marbled, White-headed, and probably many others, 

 all being common except the Pochard. Great Crested 

 Grebes were nesting everywhere in astonishing numbers, 

 even small patches of water containing several pairs ; Black- 



