Rev. H. B. Tristram on the Ornithology of Palestine. 65 



obtained the eggs of 0. glandarius, but exclusively in the nests 

 of C. comix. In Spain, on the contrary, Lord Lilford this 

 spring took them from the nests of Pica caudata ; and our Al- 

 gerian specimens were invariably in the nests of P. mauritanica. 

 Of the Carrion-Crow (C cor one) we never obtained a specimen, 

 and it does not appear to exist in Palestine. 



Two days after we had bagged our first Hooded Crows at 

 Jenin, we met with large flocks of Jackdaws, Corvus monedula 

 at Nablous, where they congregate in hundreds over the old 

 vale of Shechem, nesting in the rocks of Ebal and Gerizim, but 

 chiefly in the fine old churches, which, in their decay, provide 

 the devout Moslem with mosques below, and the less dignified 

 Jackdaw with a home over head. We had made it a rule to 

 consider any day ornithologically lost on which we had not pro- 

 cured some additional species to add to our list ; and great were 

 the rejoicings when, after a long blank day with nothing new, a 

 Jackdaw was brought down towards evening in an orange- 

 garden, to the great scandal of its proprietor, who growled forth 

 that those unclean Christian dogs would eat anything. The 

 common Jackdaw also resorts in great numbers to the Mosque 

 of Omar in Jerusalem ; but these are the only two very large 

 colonies we observed. It occurred elsewhere, but not in great 

 numbers. I shot one near Nazareth, and saw a few at a ruined 

 temple, Thelthathah, near Hermon. It may thus be looked upon 

 as rather local. In the Jordan valley and in Eastern Palestine 

 its place appears to be taken by the closely-affined or climatic 

 variety C collaris of Drummond, with which we frequently met. 

 The history of this last bird is somewhat curious. The type 

 specimen was obtained in Macedonia by our President, Col.Drum- 

 mond-Hay, manyyears ago (Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist, xviii. p. 11), 

 and sent by him to the late Mr. Strickland (P. Z. S. 1846, p. 43). 

 It then slumbered in peace for many years, till our friend Mr. 

 Simpson brought it from the Dobrudska (Ibis, 1860, p. 385). 

 I am not aware of any other specimens being known until we 

 again met with it last year. In habits and voice it no way diff'ers 

 from the common species ; but its lighter plumage at once attracts 

 attention. We saw it occasionally in the Ghor ; but the only 

 large colonies we met with were at Kabbah (the ancient Rabbath 



N. S. VOL. II. F 



