48 RAMBLES OF A NATURALIST. 
itself, which must have been hatched about the rst. The eggs are 
rather like Sparrows’ eggs, but rounder. I only got three. Dr, 
Tristram did not get any, and there are none in the Museum at 
Algiers, The nest is generally, but not always, placed in a hole, 
and is composed of twigs or little sticks, and lined with hair, with 
sometimes the addition of wool or a bit of cotton. On one 
occasion two were found together, which probably belonged to the 
same bird, as one of them was unfinished. The young are less 
noisy than Sparrows: the female brings them food about every ten 
minutes ; and they never chirp except when they see her. I never 
could detect anything in her beak, or see on what she fed them, 
although I watched the operation often; so I do not doubt that 
she reproduces what she has eaten for the benefit of her callow 
offspring. Until the young leave the nest the male takes no share 
in feeding them. The female bears away the faeces. The males 
sing much the loudest, indeed the females never do more than 
twitter; but the cock pours forth a lively strain during the season 
of incubation. They are as tame as Robins. Frequently one 
would hop upon our carpet, to search for fragments of couscous, 
scrutinizing us within a few feet with his dark brown trustful eye. 
They are nearly omnivorous. I caught one in a trap baited with 
grain, and saw another nibbling green carrot leaf; and once the 
female at Berryan made her appearance with a large fly, which was 
not swallowed without a great effort and after much mastication. 
They drank out of our goatskin, fluttering and clinging to the wall 
for the moisture which had oozed through. For a few seconds 
before settling down for ‘the night I used to see them “hovering” 
perpendicularly, with quivering wings and tail brought forward. 
Half circles of accumulated droppings under the rafters showed 
where they roosted.”’ 
Near this town I saw examples of the Woodchat, and 
White-headed Rock Chat (Saxicola leucocephala), now united 
with Saxicola leucopygia; while the Egyptian Turtledove 
( Turtur egyptiacus, Tem.) was so common, that I had only 
to take my stand in a garden and load and fire until as 
many had been killed as I required. Directly one falls the 
