48 
much in the gardens, as in the “ weds ” and on the walls. They 
enter towns freely and perch upon the flat-roofed houses. 
We did not start upon our return journey until the last day of 
the month. One of the chiefs was good enough to accompany me 
home, and I further availed myself of the convoy of two Spahis, 
who had been sent with letters from Laghouat. 
The first day’s journey lay through the stony Chehka Mzab, 
(where among mountains utterly sterile and bare of herbage, our 
cavalcade trod foot-sore and weary,) and the only rare bird seen by 
me was a Houbara bustard ; its flight is almost like a bird of prey. 
It is the falconer’s favourite quarry, and defends itself by ejecting 
a shmy fluid. When the Chebka Mzab was past we again entered 
upon the sandy prairie which stretches right to Laghouat, and I 
had further opportunity of examining the dayats which had so 
much interested me. 
It was just the period of migration, (May 2nd,) and wherever 
there was water, they were teeming with animal life. It was as if 
all the Spring migrants of Southern Europe had been compressed 
into fifty acres. Beneath every jujube tree — at every thicket — were 
massed and congregated all manner of rare birds : — pied flycatchers, 
{Muscieapa liLctuosa,) hoopoes, {Upupa ep)ops,) doves, [Colamba 
turtur^ woodchats, (Lamus rnfus,) — warblers without end, seeking 
shelter from the burning midday sun. The neophron {Neophron 
■percnopterus) and tlie raven {Corvus corax) perched upon the 
taUer terebinths. Different sorts of sandjjipers flew before us 
minglmg with noisy shrikes {Lanius dealhatus.) Dozing Little 
owls {Athene meridioncdis) dashed out from the deep fohage and 
hid themselves again. 
I suspect that not a few birds are tempted by the water and rich 
foliage to remain and rear their progeny in these dayats. This is 
the country to which the Arabs apply the term Sahara. I know 
it is the Great Desert which is so marked in English maps, but 
this is the true Sahara — the habitable country which ends where all 
regular supply of water fails. We rode into Laghouat at 8.30 on 
Tlmrsday morning ; it was nearly four weeks since I had seen a 
European. I heard on all hands of the camel razzia at Zorgoun. I 
might almost say it had created some uneasiness. I was not sorry 
to take the first “courrier” and return to Algiers, which I did 
without further incident, and thence by the usual route to England. 
