390 
Mr. D. A. Bannerman : First Impressions [Ibis, 
the countries where the burning questions associated with 
them may best be settled! Of the varied races of the 
Crested Lark known to inhabit Tunisia, I shall have more to 
say later: the country between Carthage and La Marsa is 
suited rather to Blackbirds, Thrushes, Chaffinches, Whin- 
chats, Whitethroats, Grey Wagtails, Blackcaps, Black Red¬ 
starts, and Serin finches, all of which were noted in lesser or 
greater numbers on the walk along the cliffs. The Sparrows 
of Tunisia and Algeria have long been a source of perplexity 
to systematic ornithologists. Whitaker tackled the question 
in his delightful book (‘ Birds of Tunisia,’ vol. i. pp. 203-204), 
and showed that the common Sparrow of the Regency was 
Passer hispaniolensis Mspaniolensis , though P. domesticus 
inhabited the western districts and interbred extensively 
with the Spanish Sparrow : while in the south Sparrows 
which he referred to P. italice were obtained. Hartert has 
discussed the status of the Algerian Sparrows at great length 
(Nov. Zool. xviii. 1912, pp. 479-482), and from his care¬ 
fully considered observations we find that Passer hispaniolensis 
hispaniolensis occurs in Tunisia, as noted by Whitaker, but 
that the House Sparrow of Tunisia, which interbreeds so 
largely with the Spanish Sparrow, is Passer domesticus tingi- 
tanus, while the Sparrows from southern Tunisia (Gafsa) were 
named flnchigeri by Zedlitz, though they are in reality only 
hybrids, and are not therefore eligible for subspecific rank. 
These are the birds which Whitaker and others placed under 
the name P. italice , though Whitaker pointed out that they 
were by no means typical examples. 
An excursion of exceptional interest both to the ornitholo¬ 
gist and the archaeologist is to motor from Tunis to Dougga, 
the site of the most wonderful collection of Roman ruins in 
Tunisia. Dougga lies over 100 kilometres to the south-west 
of Tunis, and the excellent road passes through varied 
scenery. In the immediate vicinity of Tunis the country is 
very flat, a wide and remarkably fertile plain stretching for 
miles. Just after leaving the outskirts of the town a 
delightful view of the Sebkra es-Sedjoumi is obtained from 
slightly rising ground. The lagoon which lies on the south- 
