on Birds observed in Southern Palestine. 27 



24. COTYLE KIPARIA. 



Abundant in the sandy banks on the left side of the Jordan. 

 I may mention in passing that I have found the Sand Martin 

 breeding in Egypt in February. Is it not, therefore, probably 

 double-brooded ? 



25. CoTYLE RUPESTRIS. 



The Rock Martin is not unfrequent in the barren gorges of 

 the Kedron, near the Dead Sea, where I found it breeding at 

 the end of March, and obtained specimens. I have observed, 

 both in the Atlas range and in Palestine, that it appears to be 

 confined to mountain gorges, and that it is by no means gre- 

 garious, each pair keeping a range of territory to themselves, 

 though the bird occurs from one end of the pass to the other. 



26. HiRUNDO RUFULA, Temm. 



Appears to be the Common Swallow of the Holy Land. I 

 cannot be sure that I saw H. rustica at all, though possibly it 

 might not yet have returned from the South. 



27. CORACIAS GARRULA. 



Seen occasionally in the olive-yards and wooded hill-sides. 



28. Merops persicus. 



In the valley of the Jordan. I think I also saw Merops 

 apiaster, but I obtained no specimens. 



29. Ceryle rudis. 



One specimen seen near the Jordan. 



30. Upupa epops. 



Common about the towns and villages. Frequents dunghills, 

 and is extremely tame and familiar. The Arabs have a super- 

 stitious reverence for this bird, which they believe to possess 

 marvellous medicinal qualities, and call it " the Doctor." Its 

 head is also an indispensable ingredient in all charms and in 

 the pi'actice of witchcraft. 



31. Sitta syriaca, Ehrenb. 



Few birds have interested me more than the Dalmatian Nut- 

 hatch. I had good opportunities of observing its habits in the 

 south of the Morea in winter, and I encountered it again in 

 the hill-country of Judaea. Unlike our species, it is confined to 



