45() NOVITATES ZOOLOOICAK XXIV. lill". 



where they collected very successfully for ten days. The species collected 

 there are mentioned in Erlanger's writings and in Hilgert's Katalog der Collection 

 von Erlanger (1908). 



When incorporating our portion of the Bury collection I had an opportunity 

 to compare all the species, and I found that in a few cases constant differences of 

 the Arabian birds had hitherto been overlooked, so that I was obUged to describe 

 some new subspecies. In a few other cases I found Selater's identifications 

 incorrect, though in most instances thej' were perfectly correct. 



In Selater's article trinomial nomenclature has been used most judiciously, 

 and the names are correct as to priority. Only in a few instances biiicmials 

 were used where trinomials would have been equally necessary as in others, 

 as in the case of the Shrikes. In others, chiefly also in the Shrikes, too 

 much genus-sphtting is indulged in. in the latter almost amounting to "furor 

 generieus " as our friend's unforgettable father humorously called it. 



It is only about 18 or 19 species or subspecies that I have any remarks to 

 make. All ornithologists are obliged to Mr. Sclater for giving us this list of 

 one of the most interesting collections from Arabia, a country which even now 

 is only partially explored. 



Onychognathus tristrami hadramauticus (Lorenz and Hellm.). 



Pilorhimix hadramauticus Lorenzand Hellmayr. Orn. Monntsbcr. 1901. )i. .'!U (Ye.slibum inS. Arabia). 



The shghtly disintegrated outer webs of some of the remiges, which are 

 said to distinguish OnycJiognathus from Amydrus are no generic character, as 

 they vary greatly, nor can the length of the bill and the more or less graduated 

 tail serve to distinguish Amydrus and Hagiopsar. I must therefore unite 

 Onychognathus, Amydrvs, Hagiopsar. Pyrrhochiira, and Ginnamopterus. and 

 the oldest name Onychognathus (not " Onycognathvs " as Sharpe spelt it) must 

 be used for this assemblage. Lorenz and Hellmayr went even farther, as they 

 united the Arabian Red-winged Spreuw with Pilorhinus, but the nostrils being 

 covered with bristly feathers, the short curved beak and rather square tail together 

 may serve as an excuse for the separation of the latter genus. 



The South- Arabian form is with difficulty separable from 0. tristrami tris- 

 trami of South Palestine and Sinai. The rufous of the primaries is mostly 

 darker, but in a few exceptional cases one cannot notice any difference, and 

 the primary-coverts, as Mr. Sclater said, are as a rule, though not constantly, 

 dusky and rufous in the Palestine form, entirely black in the Arabian form; 

 but the latter too is not quite constant, as in a male collected at El-Kubar in 

 South Arabia by Bury the inner webs are mostly rufous. On one of the labels 

 Bury remarks: "Local name Meyiim, presumably corruption of Meyun, which 

 is derived from the same root as Mynah." 



"Passer domesticus buryi" Lorenzand Hellui. 



Mr. Sclater keeps the South-Arabian birds separate from P. domesticus 

 indicus, but all the differences which he states are like those put forward by 

 Lorenz and Hellmayr, peculiar to fresh unabraded winter birds, as compared with 

 worn spring and summer birds. I have once more compared our South-Arabian 

 sparrows, all collected by Bury in the Aden Protectorate and at Menakha and 



