1920.] }3irds of Southern Palestine. 249 



Pterocles orientalis (L.). {= are nanus.) 



Several .small parties watered regularly in the Wadi Gaza 

 at Shellal and near Beersheba during August and early 

 Se})teniber, but they had all gone by 17. ix. A few returned 

 from 27. ix. to 30. ix. 



Pterocles alchata. 



]'. a. candariihis (Gm.). 



Scarce. A few were seen near Shellal on 4. vi. and in early 

 August. They were watering in large numbers near Beer- 

 sheba in late September. An occasional pack watered at 

 intervals of some days at Shellal during November and 

 December. On 14. xi. a solitary bird was shot from a flock 

 of Ringed Plover. Its more rapid flight and clumsier 

 movements completely upset the wheeling" of the Plovers, and 

 its determination to fly in the centre of the flock caused 

 them much embarrassment. It was in full change from 

 immature to adult plumage. 



Acock shot at Shellal on 20.viii. is very light-coloured 

 on the chest, but can be nuitched by specimens from Tunis 

 and from Lenkoran on the C^aspian. It is remarkable that 

 both the darkest and liohtest birds in the Tring; collection 

 are from Lenkoran. 



Pterocles senegallus (L.). 



The common Sand-Grouse of southern Palestine and 

 probably resident, as it was there from June to December, 

 watering in hundreds near Shellal in the evening only. 

 After the first heavy rain in the middle of December it 

 watered on surface pools in the desert. 



Five specimens obtained agree with birds from Algeria 

 and the Nile Valley. 



Alectoris graeca. 



A. g. sina'uu (Bp.). 



Four birds from the Shephelah and the Jordan Valley 

 near Jericho are similar. They compare well with birds 

 examined from Engedi on the Avest shore of the Dead Sea 



