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grey edgings to the feathers, so that, although the markings are much the same as in summer, they are 

 always more ashy and obscure. 



Adult female. Much paler in colour and more obscure; stripes on the head light and dark brown, instead 

 of black and greyish white ; the black markings on the chest obsolete, fading into dirty brown. 



The habitat of this pretty little bird extends from Algeria to North-western India, being, as far 

 as we can learn from the dates of specimens now before us, a resident in the whole of this extent 

 of country. 



It will be convenient to trace out its geographical distribution in the order of the countries 

 above mentioned, commencing with Algeria. Canon Tristram, who has an undoubted skin of 

 this species in his collection, obtained by himself at Berroughuia, on the 2nd of December 1856, 

 has not published any notes on the bird ; but Loche gives the following account : — " Mr. 

 Schousbcee, principal interpreter to the Governor-General of Algeria, who has had numerous 

 opportunities of observing this bird, assures me that it is very tame, rarely wanders from inha- 

 bited places, and, like our Common Sparrow, lives under the eaves and holes in the walls in the 

 towns of Mogador and Morocco, as also in all the towns on the slope of the Great Atlas, within 

 a circle of about forty kilometres to the south of the last of the above-mentioned towns, where it is 

 very common ; but it is not found more than a few leagues to the north of these localities. Its 

 song, which it repeats often, is but little varied, and may be expressed by the word tiblid 

 frequently repeated, laying stress on the last syllable ; and it has from this probably obtained the 

 name of Tib-bid, by which it is known to the Morocco Arabs. In the most southern part of 

 Algeria we have found this bird ; and M. Malherbe states that it is found on the slopes of the 

 Atlas." Dr. Taczanowski has also published the accompanying note on the bird as observed by 

 himself during his travels in Algeria : — " Common, but not plentiful, in El-Kantara and on 

 mountains further south, in Biskra, and in the oases. It is here a very bold and familiar bird, 

 continually taking up its quarters close to human habitations, perching upon houses, and even 

 entering them in search of food : as soon, however, as a person moves, it flies off, to return 

 immediately afterwards to the same spot. These birds are said to build their nests under the 

 roofs. They sing from the beginning of February." 



Dr. von Heuglin, in the course of his critical notes on Dr. Taczanowski' s paper, suggests 

 that the above remarks have reference to E. saharce ; and we cannot help thinking that M. 

 Schousbcee may have been writing to Loche about the same bird ; for Canon Tristram has sent us 

 the following observations, which throw light on the subject: — "You know how near this bird 

 runs to E. saharce. Yet there is a very marked difference in their habits. E. saharce affects the 

 neighbourhood of man, lives in pairs about houses, and feeds in yards, just in fact like our 

 Sparrows. E. striolata is a wild, shy bird of the rocks (wherever I have seen it), restless, and 

 very like our E. schceniclus in its uneasy wild flitting from bush to bush, always keeping well 

 ahead of too curious investigators. Its note is quite distinct from the other's (at least its call- 

 note ; for I do not know its breeding-habits or song), and is a hurried thrice-repeated note, exactly 

 like our Black-headed Bunting's- It is quite a bird of the open, among rocks and loose short 

 scrub, where there is no cover." We do not of course wish to deprive this bird of its Algerian 

 habitat ; for that is an undoubted fact ; but we think that it has scarcely been well distinguished 



