1920.] Birds of Southern Palestine. 231 



numbered transitica on passage^ and only a few wei'e seen 

 after 27. x. None seen after 30. x. 



The spring passage at Kainleh lasted tVoni IG.iii. to 8.iv\ 



C, r. transitira Hart. 



Nowhere common as a resident. Breeds at Rafa, Khan 

 Yunus, Belah, and on the desert between liafa and Beer- 

 sheba, using wells or underground cisterns, one nest with 

 four eggs being found in a cistern within two feet of a Little 

 Owl's nest with two eggs. Breeds sparingly throughout 

 the coastal plain and Judsean highlands, and last year's nests 

 were seen in Beershelni. 



I was much surprised to find this bird passing south-west 

 at Rafa iu considerable flocks from 22. ix. to 28. x., there 

 having been a large gathering of young birds about Khan 

 Yunus since 23. viii. In late November and early December 

 large numbers of 'birds aniveil for the winter in the plains 

 of southern Palestine which seemed intermediate between 

 II. r. rustica and transitica. 



On spring jtassage at Hainleh large flocks were seen 

 passing north from 31.iii. to G.iv., while a few were seen on 

 passage on Mount Carmel on 22. iv. 



Tristram states that this race does not occur north of the 

 Lebanon. Where, then, do all these passage migrants come 

 from? And where do they go? It will probably be found 

 that they spread out all over Syria in summer and occur 

 throuiihout Arabia and N.E. Africa in winter. Their 

 southern breeding range })robab]y also extends south of 

 Palestine, for one was shot in Sinai on 13. iv. (Auk, July 

 19L5). 



It may be interesting to note that C. r. saciynii breeds on 

 the east b;ink of the Suez Canal, where I found two nosts at 

 Kantara in Ma}-. 



This very distinct geographical race is intermediate 

 between C. r. rustica and savigaii., but appears to merge into 

 C. r. rustica on its northern limits and in ( -yprus. The 

 young bird in nestling plumage is very pale and whitish on 

 the under parts, and I could only detect traces of the true 



