578 Miss D. M. A. Bate on some 



Avarm or tropical forest-regions are more richly coloured 

 and contrast markedly with those found in barren or desert 

 countries. This, together with the fact that Cyprus within 

 historic times was well wooded and presumably well 

 watered and fertile, may possibly help to throw some light 

 on what may be the partial persistence of a former general 

 darker coloration in the fauna of the island. 



Dr. Hartert, in his key to the Certhiidse (Nov. Zool. 1887, 

 vol. iv. p. 138), gives as the distinguishing characteristic of 

 C.familiaris with its subspecies, "Fourth primary with a 

 very pale fulvous mark in the middle of the outer web." 

 This certainly does not obtain in the birds from Cyprus, as 

 in all the seventeen skins which I have examined the pale 

 fulvous mark first occurs on the " fifth " primary. As in 

 C.f. brachydactyla, the bill is slightly longer and the hind 

 claw shorter than in the typical C. familiar-is and the British 

 form. 



The Cyprian Creeper is confined to the pine-forests of 

 Troodos, the central range of the island, where it is not 

 uncommon. I do not believe that it is ever seen lower than 

 about 4000 ft., and then only where the edge of the forest 

 extends so far. 



10. COCCYSTES GLANPARIUS. 



During the spring of 1902, when travelling about the 

 island, I found the Great Spotted Cuckoo not uncommon. 

 It appeared to be most plentiful close to the Kerynia range 

 and among the gardens on the lower slopes of the same hills 

 west of the Aghirdhir Pass. On one occasion when at the 

 Larnaka salt-lake an individual, which was sitting on the low 

 stump of a tree, allowed me to approach within a few yards. 



11. CoRACIAS GARRULA. 



Lord Liford, in his " List," says that this bird " breeds 

 abundantly in Cyprus in soft banks of marl and sand." 

 During the two springs which I spent in the island I found 

 numbers of their " nests," but always in holes in cliffs or in the 

 walls of houses, and never in situations such as he describes. 



