1920.] Birds of ^outJuTii Palestine. 203 



Sea, where it breeds, the young having fiovvn by 7. v. The 

 nests are placed in tamarisk bushes about five feet from the 

 ground and clear of flood-line, and are constructed of dead 

 interlaced tamarisk needles. They are huge cone-shaped 

 structures with an entrance at the top or on the side of the 

 top. The base of the cup is lined with Chukar and Francolin 

 feathers and cotton-down. One nest was 10 inches deep and 

 6 inches in diameter. 



The birds were plentiful at the north end of the Dead Sea 

 in November and June, but absent in late February and 

 throuii'liout March. Five were obtained in November. 



Passer hispaniolensis. 



F. h. transrasi>icus Tschusi. 



Locally })lentiful in the coastal plain and in the Jordan 

 Valley, being resident. It does not a})pear to occur much 

 south of the latitude of Jerusalem. The wings of five males 

 vary from 75 to 80 mm. 



Emberiza calandra. 

 E, c. calandra L. 



Mainly a winter visitor, Ix^ing connnonest in the coastal 

 plain. Near Gaza these winter birds tirst appeared on 10. x., 

 and in a few days many thousands watered on the Wadi 

 Gaza from Gaza to Beershel^a, but they suddenly ilisa})peared 

 on 18. xii. 



Near Kandeh they remain as late as 31. iii. 



There are also some resident birds in the valleys of the 

 Shephelah and locally in the coastal })lain. In winter these 

 residents never flock, and can be seen singly or in pairs in 

 January or December, sitting on top of thorn bushes rasping- 

 out their note, while a flock of winter birds as wild as hawks 

 may be feeding close at hand. 



Of nine obtained, the wings of the males vary from 90 to 

 99 mm. and those of the females from 89 to 93 mm. AH 

 examples excej)t two can be nuitchcd by othei-s from southern 

 Europe and by dull-coloured specimens from Great Britain. 

 Two females, however, are noticeably diffeient. One shot 



