1922.] the Xear East and Tropical East Africa. 65 



In the northern Jordan Valley and throughout Palestine 

 proper, occurs gaddi. 



Diirino; autumn and winter large flocks of Rock-Pioeon 

 visit the Lower Jordan Valley from the Juda3an hills, and 

 these appear to be always white- or whitish-rumped birds. 

 But in spring the only Rock-Pigeon which I saw breeding 

 in the earth cliffs of the River Jordan were grey-runiped 

 birds. In the Upper Jordan Valley (Yarmuk Gorges) I 

 saw huge flocks of white- or whitish-rumped birds through- 

 out the year. Tristram (Survey of Western Palestine) 

 noted this, but referred the grey-rum[)ed birds to schimperi^ 

 and the white-runified birds to C. I. livia. But this is not 

 correct, for the grey-rumped birds are the true pahcstina, 

 which really only occur within the limits of Palestine in the 

 Lower Jordan Valley and round the Dead Sea, and the 

 white-rumped birds are gaddi, which are discussed later in 

 this paper. 



True palcestince are a shade darker both above and below 

 than schimperi, not so dark as gaddi below, and of course 

 much paler than either intermedia or neglecta. Lower back 

 grey as the mantle, rarely paler. 



Tlie following is the detail of the birds of this race which 

 I have examined : — 



Locality. Wing. Colour of lower hack. 



Jericho 218,222 White and as back. 



Jericho 205,216 Both white. 



Dead Sea 215 As back, 



Sinai 213 As back. 



Muscat 225 Pale grey. 



South-west Arabia 220-235 All as back. ' 



do. 211-218 All as back. 



Columba livia butleri Meinertz. 



Columha livia butleri Meinertz. Bull. B. 0. (\ xlii. 1921, 

 p. 6. 



Identical with paUrstinw in the colour of the mantle and 

 under parts, the lower back being the same colour, or nearly 

 so, as the mantle. Larger and a shade darker than 5c/a'mp^r/, 

 but not quite so dark above and below as gaddi. 



SER. XI. — VOL. IV. F 



