1920.] Birds of Sonfhern Palestine. 239 



that a hroad bolt of country bounded on the north by a line 

 Jaffa-Jerusalem and in the south by a line Gaza-Beersheba, 

 is inhabited by a Little Owl, some of Avhieh are typical 

 gimuv, others typical lilith, and others intermediate in 

 colour. There is one of the intermediate birds in the 

 Tring- collection, labelled "Jerusalem, in summer.'^ 



Little Owls are plentiful residents throughout the country, 

 both in the desert country, in villages, and gardens. Their 

 usual nesting sites are down a well, in an underground cistern, 

 or, in the 81iephelah, among boulders. 



Asio flammeus Pontopp. (Asio accipiti'ijuis (Pall.)) 

 Four were seen on passage on the desert near Rafa on 

 2. xii. Sladen obtained one at Yebna on 10. i, 



Tyto alba. (^Strix flammea auctorum.) 

 T. a. alba (Scop.). 



From late October to early December there was a con- 

 siderable movement of these birds near Rafa and Gaza. 

 The earliest record was on 1. x., when one was picked up 

 dead near the coast at Rafa, and many wore caught by our 

 troops in the trenches opposite Gaza in late October and 

 early December. The latest record is on 4. xii. 



A male picked up on 1. x. has a wing measuring 2(S4 mm. 

 Lower parts and legs pure white, except for a slight yellow 

 tinge on the upper breast, every feather having a narrow 

 shaft-stripe on the middle part only of the shaft, and a small 

 drop-shaped brown fleck at the tip. The only other Palestine 

 specimen I have examined is very similar, but with fewer 

 markings on the under parts. 



Falco peregrinus. 



-/•'. J I. pelegrlnoides Tennn. (^F. Jiarbarxis auct.) 

 An adult male shot at Shellal on 3. xii. \\as the only 

 record. Wing 279 mm. 



Falco biannicus. 



/'. /'. tani/jifevus Schleg. 

 Fairly common on aulunm j)assage in southern Palestine 



