NOVITATES ZOOLOOICAE XXIV. 1917. 279 



from Engeddi and Judaea. Dawydoff says that in Western Palestine, his mar- 

 garitae is replaced by sinaica ! The question is if that is correct — most likely 

 the author had not compared Sinai specimens ; he adds that margaritae is larger 

 than sinaica and darker on the back, but that it differs from " chukar " (by 

 which he probably meant falki or koroviakovi) by the pure grey crown and wide 

 white stripes under the eyebrows, which extend over the greater part of the 

 vertex. 



This margaritae is said to live quite isolated in the southern part of the 

 depression called El Ghor, and especially on the shores of the Dead Sea (the 

 northern part is meant, no doubt, not the Ghor south of the Dead Sea). 



Alectoris graeca toerae is the large, very pale form, with pure grey crown, 

 which inhabits the Persian provinces of Luristan, Arabistan (Chusistan), and 

 Farsistan, also Bushire. Judging fjom two very worn summer specimens from 

 Mesopotamia, it would seem that they, too, belong to werae, and if that is so, it 

 miglit even extend further ( '. '. into Palestine). 



Alectoris graeca koroviakovi was described by Zamdny under the name 

 of Caccabis kakelik koroviakovi {I) in Messager Orn. 1914, p. 55, in Russian! 

 In this same article (pp. 54, 57, 59) Zamdny renames Hume's Caccabis paUidus 

 and calls it Caccabis kakelik humei, becau.se Naumann, in 1S33, had called a 

 pale variety of the Red-legged Partridge " Perdix rubra pallida." This, how- 

 ever, is no reason for the rejection of that name, as Naumann's names of aberra- 

 tions have no nomenclatorial standing. Not only are names given to aberra- 

 tions not considered in the Code of Nomenclature, but it is especially clear that 

 Naumann did not consider his names as of nomenclatorial value, because he 

 used the same names (such as albus, candidus, varius, pallidus, luteus) over and 

 over again in species after species in the same genus for white, white-spotted, 

 pale, or yellowish aberrations. Buturlin and Zamdny call the species " kakelik." 

 This name was given by Falk (not Falck) in Beytrdge zur topogr. Kenntn. d. Russ. 

 Reichs, iii. p. 390 (1786). The whole description is : " Schreit bestandig kakelik. 

 Grosse einer Kropftaube, Schnabel, Augenbrauen und Fiisse brenned roth, Brust 

 grau, Rucken von weiss und grau gewassert. Bucharey, Chiwa, Soongarey." 

 This description is certainly quite insufficient to identify the species. No doubt 

 the bird calls "kakelik," but the description of the cry is not diagnostic, and, 

 no mention being made of the black circle round the throat, none of the most 

 striking coloration of the sides, and the back not being waved white and grey, 

 the name is unacceptable. 



Now as regards the name koroviakovi. This name was given to specimens 

 from Eastern Persia (except Khorassan), from the Birdjand Mountains to Per- 

 sian Baluchistan. From the somewhat conversational and lengthy description 

 (in Russian !) the following description can be extracted : It does not belong to 

 the pale forms (what is meant is, such as werae, pallida, and sinaica). " It is 

 decidedly darker and more strongly pigmented than the Khorassan and Trans- 

 caspian," and the " brightness of colouring is also superior to most of the repre- 

 sentatives of the larger C. kakelik kakelik from Russian Turkestan. It is specially 

 remarkable for the strong development of a chestnut-brown colour along the 

 middle of the upper part of the head and a deep pink-red-brown colour of the 

 forepart of the back." Besides the coloration, the small size of koroviakovi is 

 remarkable. 



These statements of Zarudny are correct. Compared with Alectoris graeca 



