1917-] Suez Canal Zone and Sinai Peninsula. 547 



in Egypt. On Aug. 30 and 31 very many were going south 

 at Mohammedia on the north coast ; these will almost 

 certainly have been typical Sand-Martins. 



Cotile obsoleta. Pale Crag-Martiu. 



One or two at Suez over the desert just west of the town 

 on May 23. I saw this bird in plenty at Luxor during a 

 short visit in March 1915. 



Passer domesticus House-Sparrow. 



Common at all the canal and desert camps. At such 

 places as Mazar it was there practically as soon as the troops 

 and in some numbers. In each desert camp such as Romani, 

 Bir-el-Abd, &c. it was abundant. 



I cannot state definitely the dates on which Sparrows 

 first occupied the desert camps, but they were in each when 

 I passed through them and were already well established 

 at Mazar — not far from El Arish — not long after it was 

 occupied late in the autumn. Whether they moved to the 

 new camps in tlie spring I am quite unable to say, as at that 

 time we were on or about the Canal in older established 

 positions. 



Fringilla ccelebs. Chaffinch. 



First seen at Mohammedia on Oct. 23; on Nov. 17 I saw 

 a fair-sized flock at Romani. 



[Emberiza caesia. Cretzschmar's Bunting. 



I believe that some of the fairly numerous Buntings 

 passing at the end of August were of this species, but I 

 rarely got more than a fleeting glance of them and prefer 

 not to say so definitely ; it is almost certain to have been 

 one of several species seen.] 



Certhilauda alaudipes. Bifasciated Lark. 



This striking desert bird was not uncommon at all places 

 from Kantara to Mazar along the north road, and I also 

 saw it at Ballah on the Canal, a little distance south of 

 Kantara. 



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