THE BIRDS OF MESOPOTAMIA. 227 
May 21st Cheesman saw a party at Kizil-Robat and more at Kasr-i-Sherin 
just over the frontier, they were flying N. E. Cumming records it from Fao 
in the brown juvenile dress. At Urfa Weigold found it common in the vine- 
yards in May. It is apparently a rare bird in 8. Palestine and Egypt and its 
migrations must be largely east and west. 
8. Golden Oriole. Oriolus oriolus. 
Oriolus ortolus oriolus (L.) (Syst. Nat. Ed. X, p. 107, 1758—Sweden). 
The Golden Oriole is a bird of passage in small numbers ; arriving rather late 
in spring, its passage appears to cover the last week in April and the first part of 
May. Pitman saw it at Feluja on April 27th—29th and Cheesman found 
males in song at Khazimain on 29th ; Buxton met with it at Amara on the 30th 
and again on May 7th. It was noted at Nasiriyah in May and Cheesman found 
it at Khanikin on the 21st. Logan Home records that he saw a female at Daui 
on June 2nd. We have no evidence of it breeding. 
At Urfa it would seem to arrive earlier. as often is the case with other mi- 
grants, and it is also commone: there; Weigold records that the males arrived on 
April 18th and the females on the 29th. Cumming recorded it as a passage ; 
migrant at Fao in May and June and again in September. 
In autumn there are few records: Kut, August 9th; Amara, 2nd week in 
September (Buxton); Ramadi, September (Brooking); Basra, September 4th 
({L. Home) ; Fao, September 10th (Cumming) ; while there are skins in the B. M, 
from Mesopotamia on August 20th and September Ist. 
36, Two skins examined: Feluja, 27-4-17 (C.R.P.); @, Amara, 11-5-18 
OPDA, B:): 
9. Goldfinch. Carduelis carduelis. 
(1) Carduelis carduelis niedicki (J. J. Ornith, 1907, p. 623—Eregli) (Taurus 
(2) Carduelis carduelis loudonit (Morn. Monats., 1906—Lenkoran ?). 
Goldfinches appear to be rather local and scarce in winter, possibly they are 
erratic visitants. Cheesman noted it at Qalet Saleh on November 25th, 1917, 
and on December 20th the same year Buxton found some flocks inhabiting 
gardens at Amara where they remained till the middle of February. Ross met 
with a large flock on thistles at Suleimania on December 19th, 1919, and Bailey 
at Shustar on February 2nd. Weigold obtained two birds at Urfa in April but 
apparently they were not breeding there; one he thinks is not distinguishable 
from the European bird and the other is paler and he places it as niedicki. 
Meinerzhagen records a flock at Baghdad on January 2nd. 
(1) Nine skins: examined 4, ? Shustar, 3-2-18 (F. M. B.); ¢, Qalet Saleh, 
25-11-17, $, Amara, 12-2-18 (P. Z. C. and R. E. C.); ¢, Amara, 27-12-17, ¢?, 
13-1-18, g 13-1-18, g, 19-12-17 (P. A. B.); Suleimania, 19-12-19 (Ross). 
(2) ¢, Amara, 23-11-17, (P. A. B.). 
It is quite evident that two races are represented here and that none of the 
skins are referable to the typical race ; the nine skins above are all too pale on 
the mantle for this latter race and the cheeks are sullied white ; the colour of the 
mantle alone, a grey brown, separates them at a glance and they are rather 
smaller. They correspond well with niedicki, six topotypes of which I have 
examined from Eregli, in colouration and in size. The Eregli birds measure 
75° 5—82 in wing and the Mesopotamian ones 76-81:5 mm. Drs. Buxton and 
Hartert, who also looked at these birds considered them to be Zarudny’s harmsi (a 
name he substituted for minor and brevirostris which were preoccupied) but 
neither they nor myself have seen topo-types of harmsi (Lac Krasnoye near 
Baku). However as these birds agree well with niedicki and this is the older 
name they must stand as this and probably it will be found that harmsi is a 
synonym. There is a specimen of this race niedicki (Woosnam coll.) in the 
B. M. from 8. coast of the Caspian in March which Witherby (Ibis. 1910, p. 510) 
records as minor. 
