in the Eastern Atlas . 
315 
87. Calandrella brachydactyl a. (Short-toed Lark.) 
This lark is much more local in its distribution than the 
last—its range being confined to a few favoured spots in the 
elevated plains. About Am Beida it is abundant, and through¬ 
out the great plain of El Tharf it may be commonly met with; 
in the neighbourhood of Djendeli it also occurs. Like the rest 
of its congeners, it places its nest on the sheltered side of a 
bush,—the scrubby vegetation which clothes the whole of that 
arid district affording the necessary protection for its offspring. 
The eggs of this species vary very much ; even in the same nest 
hardly two similar ones are to be found. So different were some 
of the varieties, that the greatest care v r as necessary in identi¬ 
fying their true parentage. 
88. Melaxocorypha calandra. (Calatfdra Lark.) 
The large size of the Calandra makes it conspicuous among 
its congeners in places w T here the other species are found. It 
seeks the pastures and corn-fields more than the above-men¬ 
tioned species, though in some places all three are found toge¬ 
ther in equal abundance. The number of egg^ varies from 
three to five; they are laid about the second week in May, but 
some earlier, 
89. Loxia curvirostra. (Crossbill.) 
On the 26th of March, w r e met with the Crossbill half a day's 
journey westward of Kef, on a ridge of the mountains covered 
with pine-trees. There were five or six of them, consisting of 
two parent birds with their young just out of the nest. 
90. Picus numidicus. (Numidian Woodpecker.) 
I shot one of these birds in a tree that overhangs a small 
marabout that stands on the north side of the eastern precipice 
of Djebel Dekma. 
91. Gecinus levaillantii. (Levaillant's Woodpecker.) 
This close ally, but well-defined representative of our common 
Green Woodpecker (Gecinus viridis) is not uncommon in dis¬ 
tricts where there are large trees. I met with it on several 
occasions; and a nest of seven eggs, with the old bird, was 
brought to us by an Arab. These eggs appear, on comparison, 
decidedly smaller than those of our familiar species. 
