MISVKI. LA.\ 1:0 1 's .\ 11 :s. ;;(.! 



Ill tliL' case of most of the lariTi' birds of prey, if you take t)ii- span as 

 botweeii o ami 4 times the length of the wing, you will not be far wrong. 

 For instance : — 



A. chri/sai'tu!^ — ^^'"g say :io", span 80 to 8H inches. 



A. heliuca — AVing say i' J .\". sjian H:i" (a specimen carefully im-asured 



by me lately). 

 (iijpactus IxirhatuK — Wing say 32", span to 9,} feet. 



This being tlie case it is hardly conceivable that any bird with a '.VI" 

 wing can possibly have a span of anything ajiproaching 1<S feet. 



It is true that an Adjutant is a bigger bird than either of the above men- 

 tioned, and when seen soaring in companj' with Vultures, he certainly 

 looks bigger, but I should not think that there is much more than a couple 

 of feet, at most, between them. The Cinereous Vulture ( 7'. iiionackut^) and 

 the Himalayui.i (Irift'on {('//j*" /liitia/ai/m.n'i) with a wing measurement 

 of oU" in each case would probably have a spread of 10 feet or so, as they 

 appear, if anything, a trifle larger than the Lammergeyer on the wing, but 

 as I have never measured them I cannot speak with any degree of certainty. 



Dirt'erenoes in size in the same species are of course, possible, but the 

 actual amount would not count for nmch, except in the case of a male and 

 female in which case there might be as much as a foot between a large 

 female and a small male, of the same species. 



Any authenticated figures on the subject would be most interesting and 

 1 trust before long, some of our Members will oblige with their experiences. 



DuAUMSALA, lOfA April 1917. C. H. DONALD, f./..s. 



No. IX.— NOTES ON THE BIltD LIFE OF AHWAZ, PEP.SIA. 



The following notes have been collected in the intervals of military dutv 

 whilst stationed at Ahwaz. I forward them for what they are worth: — 



The Haven {Corcus cora.v). — Several pairs observed during Januarv. 

 February and March after which they disappeared, probably to breed. 



Tlie Grey -backed AVarbler {Aedon familiaris). — Breeds at the beginning 

 of May. Constructs a rather obvious nest of sticks in a low bush, liniu" 

 the nest with the small cottony capitulated heads of a composite plant. 

 Eggs 4 in number almost identical in colouration with those of the Kino- 

 Crow of India. Spreads its brown chestnut tail at intervals like the Fan- 

 tailed Flycatcher. 



The Olivaceous Tree-Warbler (llifpolaU pallida). — Fairly connnon. 



Streaked Wren-Warbler {Prinia lepidu). — Breeds in small tamarisk 

 bushes along the banks of the Karun in May and June. 



Lesser Grey Shrike {Laniu^ minor). — Shot a specimen in April 1917. 



Pale-brown Shrike (Lanius ii^alicllinus). — Shot a specimen in April 1917. 



< 'aucasus Starling (Stiirniis: vuh/ariK caurasiots). — Abundant during winter. 



The WheatearChat {Sa.iicolu (vnanthc). — Shot a specimen in April 191 7. 



House Sparrow (Passer domesticus). — Exceedingly common. 



The Ortolan Bunting {Euiberiza liortulana). — Shot a specimen in April 

 1917. 



Swallow {Hirundo rustica). — Common. Breeds in April. 



Sand Martin (Cotile riparia). — Fairly common. 



Large Crested Lark (fr'a/fr<Vr? cristata ma'/na). — Common. Breeds in May. 



Egyptian Nightjar {Caprimulf/us ceijyptius). — I found these birds paired 

 ni May but could not find their eggs. 



Pale Brown Swift (C'///;.sy7«.s- murinus). — Common. Probably breeds here. 



European Roller (Coracias r/arrula). — Common. Breeds in holes in the 

 banks of the Karun about middle of Ma}'. 



