34 RAMBLES OF A NATURALIST. 
time, and the next day shot him. Though I have since had 
the rare chance of scrutinizing this bird in England,* it did 
not afford meso much pleasure as this my first encounter 
with it at Ain-oussera. Afterwards I saw a pair at Laghouat 
feeding on a path, near to which the commandant had 
planted a row of willows, and one of them flew up to rub 
its bill against a branch, a very common action in birds to 
get rid of soil after feeding. On going to the place I dis- 
covered a number of dead locusts under the trees, Now 
was the Hoopoe feeding on them? 
The tongue in this species is very small, hence there is no 
groove on the inside of the lower mandible. 
March 14th. Shot a Desert Wheatear, which had lost 
seven toes! It was a female, the only female I obtained. 
Saxicola homochroa (Trist.) is stated by Mr. Dresser to be 
referable to the female of this species (P. Z. S., 1874, p. 225). 
A rather favourite perch of the Desert Wheatear is the 
Laghouat telegraph wire, on which the French there pin 
their faith, and to cut which would be the greatest crime an 
Arab could commit, for it would be tantamount to rebellion. 
Guelt-El-Stel. March 20th. I came here on the 16th, 
having passed—novel sight—a clump of trees about forty 
feet high. On one was a Moorish Magpie, on another a 
Raven, on another a Neophron or Egyptian Vulture. 
Doubtless in a month’s time each tree would have its nest. 
Two armed Arab troopers came to the caravanserai with 
five prisoners, also Arabs; they had chains round their 
necks. They reminded me of the poor prisoners I have 
seen in chains marching through the streets of Moscow, 
Among other birds that I collected here were the Stapazine 
Wheatear (Saxicola rufa) and Tree Pipit; the latter with 
flesh-coloured claws, but precisely like ours in other respects, 
and coming north with the migratory tide. By Monsieur 
© In May, 1874, at Leyton in Essex (cf. Zoologist, 4035). 
