THE IBIS. 



NINTH SERIES. 



No. XII. OCTOBER 1909. 



XXIX. — On the Orniiliologij of Cyprus. 

 By John A. Buckxill, M.A., F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. 



Although during the last thirty years several valuable 

 papers have been published upon the birds of Cyprus, I am 

 not aware that any attempt has hitherto been made to present 

 a systematie account of its Ornithology by one who has had 

 the advantage of local residence for any lengthy period. The 

 opportunity afforded by being stationed in the island in an 

 official capacity for the past two years has enahled rae to 

 collect the observations and material for the present paper. 



The geographical position and physical features of Cyprus 

 are so generally familiar as to call for little remark in an 

 article of this character. It is probably sufficient to 

 state here that the island is situated between 34° 33' and 

 35° 41' north latitude and between 32° 20' and 34° 35' east 

 longitude ; its greatest length is about a hundred and forty 

 miles and its greatest breadth — i. e. from north to south — 

 about sixty miles. Cyprus is the third largest island in the 

 Mediterranean, its area being 358i square miles. 



It lies tucked away in the angle between Asia Minor on 

 the north and Syria on the east ; from the former its nearest 

 point is but forty-six, from the latter about sixty miles. 

 From Port Said on the south it is some two hundred and 

 sixty miles distant. Its chief physical features are two 

 mountain-ranges and a broad flat plain between them. 

 Both ranges run east and west; the southern, which is 



SER. IX. VOL. III. 2 Q 



