1919-] Birds observed in Palestine. 223 



except along tlie coastal strip which includes Deir el Belah, 

 Khan Yunus, and Rafa. Most of my observations were 

 made in the neighbourhood of Shellal, a point some twelve 

 miles from the mouth of the Wadi Ghuzze. This wadi, like 

 most large wadis in Palestine and Sinai, was at this time of 

 the year a huge dry river-bed with liere and there a few 

 shallow pools whicli, excepting a large brackish freshwater 

 lake at Deir el Belah, provided the only surface-water in that 

 part of the country. At Shellal there were several of these 

 pools, and their presence no doubt was responsible for many 

 of the migrants which came under notice. 



After the advance of the British force in November 

 and December 1917 the type of country became very 

 different as we went northward, and some species which had 

 appeared only on migration at Shellal were found to be 

 resident farther north. On the other hand, I never found 

 Tristram's Desert-Lark (^Ammomanes deserti fraterculus) in 

 any other place than at one particular s[)ot on the Wadi 

 Ghuzze. 



Before the northward migration commenced there were 

 very few birds to be seen in the area around Shellal, and one 

 could almost count the common species on one's fingers, but 

 once migration began there was a constant stream of new- 

 comers. Doubtless a very much larger nnmber of migrants 

 passed south along the seashore and through the coastal strip 

 of vegetation and did not penetrate even a few miles inland. 

 The Quail, for instance, was a scarce occurrence at Shellal 

 whilst thousands were passing along the coast. 



I had no opportunities for careful observation during 

 November and most of December 1917, but after that 

 I increased my list very considerably, as might have been 

 expected witli the entire change in the nature of the 

 country. The orange groves of Jaffa, the cultivation of the 

 plain of Shaion, the marshy ground near Ramleh and Yebna, 

 and the hills of Judea from Latron to the Jordan, provided 

 such a variety of country that for some time I was daily 

 recording fresh species. 



I am very much indebted to Lieut.-Col. Meinertzhagen and 



