1922.] the Near East and Tropical East Africa, 49 



of tho nest during the first few days in April, when Upiipa 

 e. epops is still passing through Egypt. 



The status and migration of Upupa e. epops in the Near 

 East seems to be as follows : — 



Breeds commonly throughout Asia Minor, Armenia, at 

 Alep})0, where three nests were taken in early April, at Urfa 

 in north-west Mesopotamia, in Syria at Baalbek but appa- 

 rently not at Damascus. Breeds commonly in the Balkans 

 in May and June. Absent as a brcednig s[)ecies from Crete, 

 though a few breed in Cyprus. A rare breeding species in 

 Palestine, no evidence of its breeding in Sinai, and of 

 course does not breed in Egypt. 



They commence leaving Armenia in early August and 

 passage continues throughout September. Passage occurs 

 in Cyprus throughout September. They commence passing 

 northern Sinai in late July, the bulk passing from the 

 middle of August to late September. Latest record 13. x. 



They commence arriving in Egypt during the last ten 

 days of August and passage continues till the end of Sept- 

 ember, birds being most numerous during the first half of 

 that month. In the Sudan they are common in Septen.ber 

 and remain the winter. They are scarce in the Bahr el 

 Ghazal in winter. It seems doubtful where the bulk spend 

 the winter. Birds occur in northern Somaliland from the 

 end of September and remain at least to the middle of 

 November, if not later. 



Very few reach Kenya Colon}', though I obtained one on 

 Mount Kenya on 23. xi. 03, and another was obtained by 

 Turner on Lake Rudolf on 13.iii. But they are distinctly 

 rare in Kenya Colony. One has been obtained in Uganda 

 on 17. X. It is possible a few winter in tho Jordan Valley 

 in Palestine, as I saw a few on 23. ii., and in north-west 

 Arabia where one was obtained on 18. ii. 



In a paper on the birds of Turkanaland (Journ. East Afr. 

 and Uganda N. H. Soc. no. 16, 1921) Van Someren, under the 

 name '"''Upupa epops. European Hoopoe," records a specimen 

 shot in March. Apart from the interest in the record, when 

 will ornithologists use consistent nomenclature ? Upupa 

 9ER. XI. — VOL. IV. E 



