158 
Rev. H. B. Tristram on the 
M. Malherbe published an appendix to his Paper in 1847, 
containing four more non-European species— Aquila rapax , 
Aquila ncevio'ides , Falco punicus, and Caprimulgus isabellinus. 
With the exception of the diagnoses, M. Malherbe’s work is 
a mere catalogue, with a few notes, which, as they are com¬ 
piled by one who never visited the country, are very incorrect 
as to the localities and comparative rareness and abundance of 
species. 
That our knowledge of Algerian birds has advanced since 
1846, the catalogue of Capt. Loche, published last year, and 
containing 357 species, is a sufficient proof. Yet of this num¬ 
ber (rivalling the portentous roll of the ‘ Zoologist’ list of 
“ birds observed in Britain,” though guiltless of Asiatic Grakles 
and Australian Spine-tailed Swifts), there are but 42 non-European 
species, including the 8 previously described by Malherbe. 
Besides these, Capt. Loche gives a supplemental list of species 
said to be Algerian, but which he has not met with himself. 
Of these I succeeded, in 1856, in obtaining three, viz. Sylvia 
philomela, Sylvia sarda , and Sylvia olivetorum. The 1st No. of 
f The Ibis’ contains diagnoses of 9 species brought by me from the 
Sahara, supposed to be hitherto undescribed; and I may add also 
2 species, first obtained by me in Algeria in 1856, but described 
by M. Brehm in Oct. 1858, in “ Naumannia,” from Abyssinian 
specimens, as Dromolea leucopygia and Dromolea leucocephala. 
Thus our latest ornithological knowledge gives us 371 Algerian 
species, of which 53 are not known to have occurred in Europe. 
But even this list, on a careful analysis, must be enormously 
reduced. For what are the natural limits of North Africa ? 
Surely the northern fringe of the Great Desert, incorrectly termed 
by us the Sahara. French conquest and French alliances have, 
it is true, included a vast desert territory politically in Algeria, 
though a great portion of this is only nominally dependent, and 
knows no more of French jurisdiction than two hasty visits of 
flying columns of cavalry could impart. The Touariks profess 
to be allies of the Emperor, and the f Moniteur ’ once announced 
that the tricolor is now respected up to the walls of Timbuctoo. 
No tricolor, however, has yet been adventurous enough to in¬ 
voke any outward mark of respect in these regions, and the 
