486 

 SOME NOTES ON GAME BIRDS IN MESOPOTAMIA. 



BY 



Capt. C. M. Thoknhill, 24th PrxjABis, 



1916. 



Right Bank Tigris was not visited. These notes were compiled on the 

 Left Bank between Wadi and Sannaiyat. Country open level plain, a little 

 grass in places and a few scrubby bushes up to 3 foot high. The Wadi, 

 an open stream, about 20 to 50 yards high with banks 5 to 15 foot high, 

 no vegetation. 



Suweikieh marsh. — A marsh that is about 30 miles long, maximum width 

 10 (winter when full of water) with only 5 small clumps of reeds, each about 

 30 yards long by 10 wide. A strong wind shifts the marsh 1 to 2 miles in a 

 few hours. 



1917. 



The country traversed was the Left Bank Tigris from Sannaiyat to Bawi 

 and the right bank from Bawi to Samarra. 



[N.B. — When year is not mentioned, the reference is to 1916.] 



1. Imperial Sand-Grouse — Pterocles arenarius. 



Small flocks seen and a few birds shot between November 

 1st and March 10th. 



2. Large Pin-tailed Sand-Grouse — Pferocluncs ulchata. 



Very common and in enormous flights. Partial migration in 

 October and the end of March. Nesting in large numbers in 

 May and June. All my eggs were broken. I have frequently 

 seen this bird pitch on water to drink. 



3. Spotted Sand-Grouse — Pteroclurus senoyallus. 



Not rare. One or two shot every time we were out after Sand- 

 grouse. Apparently bred in May as I frequently saw the birds, 

 but never found the nest. The birds were present all through the 

 hot weather. 



4. Common or Grey Quail — Coturnix communis. 



Very plentiful in April 1916, but this year (1917) there was no 

 corn and only a few seen about the end of March and in April. 

 No other kinds were seen. 



5. Seesee — A')nmoi)er(lix bonhami. 



A few at Harbe and Istabulat on the Old Canal Banks, fairly 

 plentiful in the broken ground and ruins above Samarra, nest with 

 8 eggs found May 24th, 1917, about 5 miles beyond Samarra. 



6. Black Partridge. — Frcmcolimis vulgaris. 



Plentiful wherever there is cover. In many places they literall}' 

 swarm. The caU is shriller than that ol the Black in India and 

 has an extra syllable thrown in. Several people have spoken of 

 grey partridges but where I was able to see the so called greys 

 they were either hens or immature blacks. 



