636 ('ol. R. Meinertzhagen on Birds from [Ibis, 



typical nigricans. Others from Cairo I'esemble nigricans in 

 the breast-spotting, but the ])ack is typical macidata. Birds 

 shot between Caliub and Benha (north o£ Cairo) begin to 

 approach nigricans. In size simihir to nigricans. 



Average for the wing of sixty males 102 mm. (max. 108, 

 min. 98). Average for twenty-seven females 95"5 mm. 

 (max. 101, min. 92). Culmcn of males 19-21 and of females 

 18-20 mm. 



This is the characteristic race on the outer fringe of the 

 Egyptian Delta (never occurring in the desert, and some- 

 times occurring 20 miles within the Delta) . It does not occur 

 as a breeding species much east of Lake Mariotis or in the 

 vicinity of the Suez Canal. It ranges far down the Nile from 

 about ten miles north of Cairo to Wadi Haifa, where it meets 

 cdtirostris [— nidnca Bianchi). 



In winter, birds apparently wander to the Suez C'anal. 



A male from Sohag, shot on 21 September (on the Nile 

 south of Helouan), has its upper parts identical with 

 hracliyura., though its under parts resemble macidata. 



Galerida cristata mceritica Nicoll & Bonhote. 



GO birds examined from the Fayoum. This race shows 

 a more marked constancy in its colouring than any other 

 race under review. It is very near macidata, and has not 

 got a longer wing as stated by Nicoll ('Ibis,' 1914, p. 546). 

 Neither is it distinguishable from macidata by the paler 

 coloration of the upper parts, though about 20 per cent, of 

 the birds examined have a paler back than typical macidata. 

 About the same proportion of birds have whiter under parts 

 than macidata. The breast-spotting is similar to that in 

 macidata, and is often more clear-cut. But not one of 

 the differences is appreciable, nor could the separation 

 of the bird as a geographical form be justified. 



But there is a good and almost constant diiference in the 

 feathers on the lesser upper wing-coverts. In this race they 

 are silvery-brown, whereas in macidata there is never any 

 trace of this silvery colour on the lesser upper wing-coverts. 

 It is a very slight difference, but being almost constant 

 within a definite area, we must accept the subspecies. 



