6 Mr. C. W. Wyatt on the Birds of Sinai. 



This seemed to be a likely place for birds. They were not^ how- 

 ever, so plentiful as I had expected, though I found some 

 species that did not occur in the higher regions, while most of 

 those that did occur there were still to be found here, though gene- 

 rally in smaller numbers. The Bulbul {Ixus wanthopygius) was 

 very abundant and tame. I sometimes saw as many as a dozen 

 in the same tree near a certain well. They seemed to be very 

 fond of the fruit of the nebuk, which was just ripe. They 

 might often be seen hanging to the boughs, looking like large 

 Titmice, and as if they were trying, if possible, to belie their 

 relationship to the Turdida. Armjdrus tristrami was not uncom- 

 mon, the two patches on his wings shining like gold in the 

 sunshine as he passed over our heads, very different from the 

 dull russet hue of the cabinet specimen. P/iyllopneuste tro- 

 chilus and P. rufa found it warm enough for their winter quar- 

 ters, and Cyanecula suecica and Sylvia melanocephala were 

 occasionally to be seen amongst the tamarisks near the stream. 

 Pratincola melanura was the commonest and the boldest species 

 we had here; and often, when I was skinning the birds we had 

 shot, one would come and perch on a tamarisk tree within a 

 yard of my head. Phasmoptynx copensis we only obtained once. 

 One of our men was at work among the ruins of Feiran, when 

 he saw this Owl looking out of a hole in the wall. He imme- 

 diately shut him in by closing the hole with a stone, and he 

 was afterwards captured ; but, as he refused all food, the follow- 

 ing day we killed him. In Wadys Aleiyat and Ajeleh the 

 shittim-tree grows in considerable numbers, but always 

 singly ; so they do not afford much cover to birds. At El 

 Hessul, a small oasis, about a mile from the oasis of Feiran, 

 Passer salicarius was not uncommon, and seems to be the only 

 Sparrow that> occurs in the peninsula. Columba schimperi we 

 now and then met with, but it could not be called common. 

 Mr. Holland said they had been more numerous last year. 

 About the beginning of February, I went down to the sea- 

 coast, a fortnight in advance of the rest of our party, taking 

 with me two Arabs, while a couple of Camels carried my lug- 

 gage. We proceeded up Wady Solaf, stopping for the night 

 where Wady Hebran joins it; and a cold night it was. When 



