1917-] ^^^^ Birds of Yemen. 137 



the slaughter-ground outside the town, on the look-out for a 

 bone. They seemed afraid of the larger vultures, and were 

 very wary and difficult to approach. This bird ranges down 

 to Wasilj but I have never seen it on the inland or eastern 

 slopes of the Shibam massif, nor does it occur among the 

 foot-hills that lie beyond and below Mcnakha towards the 

 main range that forms the scarp of the central Yamen 

 plateau. Yet I met it again at Sok-al-Khamis high up on 

 tills scarp, but lost it again after crossing the main range, 

 and it never occurs on Sanaa plain. I have never seen it in 

 any part of the Aden Hinterland, I spent two months at 

 Menakha, and left in mid-February for Wasil. 



Here, the terrain is composed of a series of giant spurs 

 and deep, precipitous ravines, which drain steeply down from 

 the heights of Menakha into the Hejjan valley. 



Wasil is much better wooded than ]\f enakha. It was here 

 and hei'e only that I encountered Rhyncostruthus percivali 

 yemenensis, invariably feeding on the sessile fruit of the 

 " amk " (a four-angled, short-spined, euphorbiaceous bush).. 

 I noticed this same habit on the Dthala plateau (towards 

 Kataba) in 1902 and, in 1900, in the Yeshbum valley,. 

 where I collected the type of the species. The bird seem* 

 to be of rare occurrence and difficult to approach, except 

 when actually feeding. I never saw it except Avhen tlie 

 " anik " was in fruit (late winter). Passing up the road 

 again in June, I saw nothing of it, though 1 kept a sharp 

 look-out. 



I left Waail early in March for Hajeilah, where I stayed 

 till the end of April. Here I secured types of all birds I 

 saw (barring obviously familiar species as crows and vul- 

 tures), except a small black eagle that roosts in tall trees. 



1 occasionally heard an iEdicnemus at night whistling 

 across the mud-flats of the Hejjan after a spate had come 

 down from the hills. I returned to Hodeida in May. 



By now the political aspect was getting serious, even near 

 Hodeida. Bura was isolated and lleima in revolt. I was 

 refused both districts politely but firmly, so took advantage 

 of the Vali's return up-country after a special mission ta 



