2,22 Major A. G. L. Sladen on [Ibis, 



synonyms of X. htsmacephala : — (1) Biicco parvus Gmelin, 

 Syst. Nat. i. p. 407, of which the type locality is said to be 

 Senegal; but the description shows that it is probably 

 a small Barbatula, and anyway it has nothing to do with 

 this Barbet. (2) Bucco lathami Gmel. Syst. Nat. i. p. 408. 

 This is founded on the plate in Lath. Syn. i. and p. 504, 

 which is not in the least like Xantholfema hcemacephala. 

 The plate is of a bird called " the Buff-faced Barbet/' and 

 no locality is given. (3) Bucco nanus Bodd. Tabl. PI. Enl. 

 p. 47 : Cayenne. This is founded upon Latham's Black- 

 spotted Barbet (i. p. 496), which probably represents 

 Capito niger. 



Shelley misquotes Marsliall as giving this bird the name 

 (amended) o^ h<smatocephala in his jNIonogr. Capit. p. 101, 

 pi. 42 (1871), but as a matter of fact Marshall calls it 

 hamacephala . 



It should be noted that the bird from Khorasan has 

 a very small bill (12 mm.), and is very yellowish-green 

 with an intense sheen on the upper plumage equalled by 

 very few specimens elsewhere. This may well be an 

 individual character, but il will be interesting to examine 

 further specimens. 



XIII. — Notes on Birds observed in Palestine. 

 By Major A. G. L. Sladen, M.C, R.E., M.B.O.U. 



(Plate IV.) 



From July to the end of October- 1917, I found myself in 

 that curious semi-desert of southern Palestine which was 

 then occupied by the Egyptian Expeditionary Force to the 

 south and south-east of Gaza. The country here, though 

 extremely fertile after the rains of winter and producing 

 heavy crops of grain in the spring, becomes during summer 

 and autumn a vast tract of dry and sandy land, swept by 

 dust-storms and scorched by the sun. There are few trees 



