from the Syrian Desert. 313 



We might well expect to find this scarce bird at Petra, 

 which is far on the way to the Sinaitic Peninsula. Canon 

 Tristram met with it in the desert south of the Dead Sea. 



The feet of the single specimen, which is a male in full 

 plumage, are noted " light brown," the bill ci dull yellow," 

 and the iris " dark hazel." 



19. Emberiza citriniventris. (Plate XV.) 

 Emberiza citriniventris Scl. Bull. B. O. C. xvi. p. 39 

 (Dec. 13th, 1905). 



Supra cinerea, pileo flavicante tincto : loris et oculorum 

 ambitu flavescentibus : interscapulio brunneo striolato : 

 alis nigrescentibus, primariis anguste, secundariis late 

 fulvo marginatis : cauda nigricante, rectricibus utriuque 

 duabus externis albo late terminatis : subtus pallide 

 citrino-flava, guise lateribus, pectore et hypochondriis 

 cinereo perfusis ; subalaribus albidis, campterio flavo 

 tincto, remigum pagina infcriore pallide cinerea : rostro 

 (in ave viva) obscuro ; pedibus pallide brunneis : long, 

 tota 6'0, alse 3'7, cauda3 3*0 (poll, et dec). 

 Hab. in deserto Syriaco. 



Obs. E. cinerece quod formam omuino similis, sed ventre 

 flavo distinguenda. 



A single specimen of this apparently new Bunting was 

 obtained by Mr. Carruthers near Kuryatein on April 8th, 

 1905. It is labelled " Male : no. 35 : bill and feet dusky." 

 Mr. Carruthers was inclined to refer it to the Emberiza cinerea 

 of Strickland, but it seems to be easily distinguishable from 

 that species by its yellow belly (see the figures of E. cinerea 

 in Dresser's 'Birds of Europe/ i v. pi. 207, and in Jardine's 

 'Memoir of Strickland/ pi. vi. p. clxiii). — In the British 

 Museum there are three skins of an Emberiza from Bushire 

 on the Persian Gulf which I believe to be referable to the 

 female of this species. Two of these were obtained by 

 Mr. W. D. Cumming and one by Mr. A. J. V. Palmer. It 

 is quite likely that the range of the present bird extends into 

 Mesopotamia and dow r n the valley of the Euphrates to the 

 Persian Gulf. 



It is curious that no ornithological traveller, so far as I 

 know, has ever been into Mesopotamia, which is easy of 



