288 Miss M. D. Havilaud on some [Ibis, 



XV. — Notes on some Birds of the Bessarabian Steppe. 

 By Maud D. Haviland, H.M.B.O.U. 



The following notes were made during July, August, and 

 September 1917, over an area of some twenty square miles, 

 in the extreme south-western angle of Bessarabia, bounded 

 by the Lower Danube and the Priith. They are necessarily 

 scanty, for the military position often forbade the use even 

 of binoculars, but no bird has been included unless I was 

 well assured of its identity. For the most part the country 

 was high open steppe, but some of the valleys were spaz'sely 

 wooded with acacia and other trees, and there maize, 

 barley, etc., were cultivated. The great marshes of the 

 Dobrudja lay immediately in front of our camp, but unfor- 

 tunately were out of bounds for ornithological exploration, 

 as they were in enemy hands. 



Corvus comix. Hooded Crow. Common. Feeds gre- 

 gariously with the next species. 



Corvus frugilegus. Hook. Very common. Numbers 

 increased during September, possibly by immigration. 



Corvus monedula. Jackdaw. Frequent. Probably breeds 

 in the clay cliffs round the valleys. The nape of the neck 

 in the Bessarabian Daw is markedly paler than in the 

 British bird. 



Pica pica. Magpie. Abundant. 



Sturnus vulgaris. Starling. Possibly breeds, but not 

 recorded till mid-September when considerable flocks were 

 seen. 



Oriolus oriolus. Golden Oriole. Somewhat scarce. 



Carduelis cannabina. Linnet. Not uncommon in the 

 open country. 



