( 245 ) 

 -• Corvus umbrinus. 



Con'us umbrinus Sundev. ; Yerbury Ibis W%, p. 26. 

 a—c. (J 5 . Lahej. September 4th. 



The above birds, iu freshly monlted plumage, have the feathers of the head 

 aud neck purplish black with an oily gloss. All three are apparently younger 

 birds, having the bill more slender and less deep than that of the fully adult. 



[Hound Lahej these birds are extremely numerous, and we found them common 

 at Dirjaj in the Abian Country. They are usually to be found round towns or 

 villages, where with vultures and Paria dogs they act as scavengers. They are 

 of somewhat social habit, and often to be seen in flocks. During the ripening of 

 the dates the crows do a large amount of damage by eating the fruit. They and 

 the fruit bats are so destructive that the natives have to make bags of palm leaves 

 and fix these over the bunches of dates to protect them. To see a crow trying to 

 catch a lizard is a very funny sight. Having chased him into a tuft of grass, a 

 wonderful dance is executed round aud over the hiding-place, until at last the lizard 

 is captured and devoured. — A. B. P.] 



3. B.hiuocoi-ax aiBuis. 



Corvus affinU Riipp. ; Yerbury, Jliis 1890, p. 26. 

 ((. Ad. Ma'ir, Abian Country. October 13th. 



A bird of this species in very worn brown plnmage was at first sight mistaken 

 for Corvus editlue from Somalilaud, which it superficially resembles in size. The 

 present species, however, has the down at the base of the breast feathers grey, 

 instead of white, as in C. edithce. 



[This Mountain Crow, only met with on the highest ground, was first seen 

 near Jimil, but not obtained until I was on the mountains near Ma'ir, in pursuit 

 of Ibex. It was a fairly numerous species, but I found it very wary and difficult to 

 approach. — A. B. P.] 



4. Dilophus carunculatus. 



Dilophus carunculatus (Gm.) ; Yerbury, 1896, p. 26. 



Only recorded by Col. Yerbury and the late Mr. Barnes. 



5. Oriolus galbula. 



Oriulus (jalhuh Linn. ; Yerbury, Ibis 1896, p. 23. 



((. ? ad. Shaik Othman. September 23rd. 



h — d. (J imm. Al Khaur, Wadi Hassan, Abian Country. October 27th. 



[Iris and bill black ; legs slate. 



We saw one or two Golden Orioles at Shaik Othman and several iu the Abian 

 Country.— A. B. P.] 



ij. Estrilda rufibarba. 



Eslrikla rvfibarha (Ehrenb.) ; Yerbury, Ibis 1896, p. 27. 



Colonel Yerbury obtained examples near Lahej in January 1884. 



17 



