i9i9'] Birds observed in Palestine. 22?* 



This specimen has been compared with skins at tlie British 

 Museum and agrees with birds taken at Nazareth and Tyre. 



? Erythrospiza githaginea Desert Bullfinch. 



I secured a bird which I took to be of this species at 

 Belah on 3 May, 19]8. Mr. M. J. Nicoll suggested that 

 it was perhaps the Persian Bullfinch {Rhodospiza obsoleta), 

 but unfortunately a rat took this skin from my dugout 

 before I could submit it to Mr. Nicoll for examination. 



Emberiza calandra calandra. Corn-Bunting. 



1 ?, Jaffa, 10. iii.18. 



Very common in Yebna Marsh during winter^ also in 

 suitable country to the north of JafiFa. They remained 

 to breed, but their breeding-quarters were confined to marshy 

 ground, probably on account of there being no suitable 

 scrubby growth elsewhere. 



Emberiza csesia. Cretzschmar's Bunting. 



1 o, Gaza, 4. ix. 17. 1 (^ , Gaza, 4. ix. 17. 1 cT , Gaza, 

 20. viii. 17. 



This species is very common during migration, which 

 lasted throughout August and September at Shellal. They 

 were seen again on s})riug migration, the earliest appearance 

 Ijeing 21 March near Jaffa. Tristram says that he found 

 them nesting commonly in the hills north of Jerusalem, but 



1 found no trace of them breeding in the flat country around 

 Jaffa. 



Emberiza cia. Meadow-Bunting. 



These were quite common near Jaffa during April 1918, 

 and at Shellal I secured a female Avith incubation spots ou 



2 May. As far as I could see a few birds appeared to 

 remain throughout the spring and summer. 



Emberiza melanocephala. Black-headed Bunting. 



2 c? , Jaffa, 22. iv. 18. \ S, Jaffa, 13. vi. 18. 1 ? , Jaffa, 

 18.vi. 18. 



This species was first observed near Jaffa about 20 April. 

 The males appeared to precede the females by two or three 

 days. Later on they nested commonly in the orange groves. 



