from the Dead Sea and North-western Arabia. 485 



26. Drymceca lepida. 



Bumesia lepida Sharpe, Cat. B. vii. p. 211. 



a. £ . South end of Dead Sea. 6 May, 1909. 



b. £ . South-east shore of Dead Sea. 1 May, 1909. 



c. £ . Wadi Zerka Main, E. of Dead Sea. 25 April, 

 1909. 



d. ? . South end of Dead Sea. 6 May, 1909. 



These specimens undoubtedly belong to the Indian form 

 of Drymceca gracilis, which is the common Wren-Warbler of 

 the maritime plain of Syria and Palestine. Drymceca lepida 

 has not been recorded before from these localities, but its 

 occurrence is not unexpected, for it has been obtained in 

 Egypt and at Fao on the Persian Gulf. 



27. Argya squamiceps. 



Argya squamiceps Tristr. Pal. p. 49 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. vii. 

 p. 395. 



a. $ . Wadi Zerka Main, E. of Dead Sea. 24 April, 

 1909. 



b, c. ? . South end of Dead Sea. 1-6 May, 1909. 

 d. ? . Tebuk, N.W. Arabia. 2 Jan., 1909. 



This Babbler is very common in the wadis on the east 

 side of the Dead Sea, and is also found sparsely throughout 

 North-western Arabia. 



28. Cercomela melanura. 

 Cercomela melanura Tristr. Pal. p. 35. 

 Myrmecocichla melanura Seebohm, Cat. B. v. p. 360. 



a. £\b. ?. Wadi Zerka Main, E. of Dead Sea. 27 April, 

 1909. 



Apparently the range of this Chat-Robin in Palestine is 

 confined to the rocky gorges in the Dead Sea Depression, 

 where it is most numerous about ocean-level, and does not 

 seem to descend further into the Depression. At this alti- 

 tude the birds breed early, and by the middle of April the 

 young are fully fledged. 



29. Saxicola morio. 



Saxicola leucomela Tristr. Pal. p. 35. 

 Saxicola morio Seebohm, Cat. B. v. p. 372. 



