in the Eastern Alias. 
355 
dart passionately down to within a few feet of the intruder’s 
head, retiring again to make another descent. When the first 
transports of excitement are over, they all alight one by one on 
the ground. Some stand quite still, watching with inquiring 
gaze; while others stretch themselves out, first expanding one 
wing, then the other, and sitting down extend both legs. In 
this position they remain some seconds as if dead, when, sud¬ 
denly springing up, they make another circuit over head, and 
the whole flock passes quietly away. The bird makes no nest, 
but deposits its three eggs in a slight depression of the bare 
sand. The eggs are usually placed with their axes parallel. 
We several times visited places where numbers of these birds 
were breeding; yet we never succeeded in finding a young one, 
though many of the eggs were on the point of being hatched. 
This fact certainly favours the idea that on leaving the egg the 
young are capable of running like those of other Gi'allce. 
107. Charadrius pluvialis. (Golden Plover.) 
I several times saw flocks of Golden Plover near the city of 
Tunis in February and the beginning of March. 
108. iEGiALiTEs cantiacus. (Kentish Plover.) 
Occurs in abundance along the shores of the large lagoon of 
El Baheira which lies between Tunis and La Goletta. We 
afterwards found it breeding on the borders of most of the salt 
lakes in the interior. 
109. ^Egialites minor. (Little Ringed Plover.) 
In the neighbourhood of the marsh of Zana, we more than 
once met with this bird, but were unsuccessful in obtaining its 
eggs. 
110. Grus cinerea. (Crane.) 
The Crane is found in Tunis in great numbers during the 
winter months, frequenting the large plains. On one occasion, 
between Tunis and Oudena, I counted 108 of these birds on 
the wing at once. They are said to be migratory, and pro¬ 
bably they seek their breeding haunts in the continent of 
Europe. 
111. Anthropoides virgo (Demoiselle Crane). 
Towards the eastern extremity of the marsh of Zana I several 
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