on Birds observed in Southern Palestine. 35 



89. CUCULUS CANOllUS. 



I have heard this bird in Palestine, but did not obtain nor 

 see it. 



90. COLUMBA CENAS, 



Several shot in woods near Jericho. 



91. CoLUMBA LIVIA. 



In great numbers where there are rocks and water. 



92. TURTUR AURITUS. 



Resorts to the orange-groves round Jaffa. 



93. TuRTUR /EGYPTIACUS. 



One shot near Jericho, where the Arabs state it is common. 



94. CoLUMBA ? 



I saw several of a pigeon new to me near Jericho — decidedly 

 smaller than the Stock Dove ; but I was unsuccessful in my 

 endeavours to obtain a specimen. 



95. Pterocles ? 



The only Sand-grouse I met with were a small flock to the 

 west of the Dead Sea. They were neither Pt. arenarius nor 

 Pt. setarius, and seemed to me to be Pt. exustus. 



96. Caccabis saxatilis. 



The Partridge of the country. The Francolin^ which is stated 

 to inhabit Palestine, did not come under my observation. I 

 cannot help thinking that there are two distinct races of Cacc. 

 saxatilis, neither of them agreeing exactly with the bird T have 

 procured in Greece and in Crete. The specimens I obtained in 

 the cultivated districts are much lighter in colour than the Greek 

 specimens. The black collar is narrower, and the throat sandy 

 white instead of rufous. At the same time they are at least 

 one-third heavier, and at table rival the pheasant in size. They 

 are of a flavour far superior to the French red-legged or Barbary 

 birds. In the mountains I procured others very much smaller 

 than my Greek specimens, but of plumage more like them in 

 hue. The eggs of a nest of this variety, which I took while in 

 the mountains, eleven in number, are scarcely as large as those 

 of Perdix petrosa. 



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