279 
Ornithology of Northern Africa. 
sport over the mouths of the wells in pursuit of the swarming 
mosquitoes; the Hoopoe solemnly stalks on every dunghill, a 
cherished and respected guest. The White Shrike ( Lanius de- 
albatus) perches motionless on the extremity of the Palm-leaf, 
while a pair or more of the Egyptian Turtle-dove nestle in the 
centre of almost every tree; and a random shot is pretty sure to 
start from under the Dates a dozing “Booma," or Little Owl 
(.Athene numida). These peaceful retreats seem to be rarely 
visited by any Raptor more formidable than the Kestrel. 
Not so in the Dayats. Here the Golden Eagle, the Royal 
and Arabian Kites hold court and courtship, and carry on a 
perpetual, but bloodless, warfare with the Raven. The shrubs 
are occupied by the Shrike ( Lanius dealbatus), small flocks of 
Crateropus numidicus, the lovely little Ruticilla moussieri, whom 
I might almost call the ornithological feature of the Dayat; 
whilst heard, but not seen, the Dartford Warbler chirps forth 
his incessant “ Pittechou, pittchou." 
If you wish to make acquaintance with the tribe of the Rock- 
Chats ( Dromolcea ), you must follow the Marmots to the rocky 
defiles of extinct streams, the ‘Weds' of the Arabs. The 
hard gravelly plains are the homes of the Sand-grouse and the 
various thick-billed and stout-billed Larks ( Rhamphocorys and 
Otocorys), while the loose sands vainly conceal the burrowing 
beetles from the long bills of the Ground-larks (Certhilauda). 
On the surface of the Chotts, the little Plovers and other Gralla- 
tores incessantly run along, as if awaiting the returning tide of 
the primaeval ocean, which formerly swept over them. But, as 
our Editor wishes for specification, not generalization (when will 
he solve for us the naturalist's and the logician's crux, “ What 
is a genus, and what is a species ?" ?), I must proceed to details. 
1 . Gyps fulvus. (Griffon Vulture.) “ Nissr,” Arab. 
As, happily for the traveller, camels do not die every day 
under the weight of their water-skins, the Griffon does not habit¬ 
ually visit the Desert. Still he occasionally gives it a passing- 
call, though, if his meal be deposited near an oasis, he is usually 
forestalled by the Hyaena (“ Dubba” Arab.), who lurks in the 
“ Weds." On one occasion a camel in our caravan having become 
u 2 
