THE BIRDS OF MESOPOTAMIA. 229 
Tomlinson found this Bullfinch breeding at, Ahwaz on a barren hillside on March 
25th ; the nest sheltered by a projecting piece of rock contained 4 fresh eggs. 
Zarudny records it in winter and as nesting in the Karun District in small num- 
bers. No specimens examined but I accept Zarudny’s determination of the race. 
Jourdain informs me that these eggs resemble those of other races of this species 
and average 18-7 x 14:2 mm. 
14. Rose Finch. Rhodospiza obsoleta. 
Rhodospiza obsoleta (Licht.) (Eversm. Reise, Anhang., p.132, 1823 
—Bokhara). 
Buxton obtained one at Amara in a pomegranate bush on December 16th, 1917, 
it was extremely tame ; he found the remains of another on December 31st. 
Weigold met with it once at Urfa on April 18th. Tomlinson obtained a nest of 
5 eggs on barren hills near Ahwaz on March 24th, 1913 ; 3 of these eggs are in 
Jourdain’s collection and he tells me they exactly agree with eggs from Quetta. 
No birds were obtained and I consider the evidence inconclusive as certainly in 
Quetta this bird does not breed on barren hills, butin vines and rose bushesin 
gardens. 
15. Chaffinch. Fringilla czlebs. 
Fringilla celebs celebs, 1. (Syst. Nat. Ed. X, p. 179, 1758—-Sweden). 
The Chaffinch is probably a weather migrant in winter to the Mesopotamian 
plains, and does not come till forced by the hardness of the weather elsewhere. 
Buxton first noticed it at Amara after a three days cold snap on December 15th 
and they remained fairly common till March 6th. Pitman records small flocks at 
Samarra in January and February. It is recorded from Baghdad, Suleimania, 
Tekrit, Sushtar, from November to January and at Hit on March 8th ; Buxton 
found it common at Khanikin on November 23rd. Sassi and Meinerzhagen 
record it at Mosul in January and Zarudny as winter visitor to the Karun 
district. 
Fourteen skins examined: @, Amara, 7-3-18, 9, 11-1-18(P.A.B.); ¢Q, 
Sushtar—14-1-18 (F. M. B.); 6 9 9, Samarra, 29-1-18, 9, Baghdad, 30-12-17 
(C.R.P.) ; Q Amara, 2-1-18 (P.Z.C. and R. E.C.), 2 Q, Sweimania 14-11-19. 
(Ross). 
T cannot separate these from west European birds. Chaffinches vary much 
in colour cf the breast, the tint in the males being very variable and that in the 
females probably becoming pinker with age, and this obtains in these Mesopota- 
mian birds as weli as in European ones. I can pass no opinion on Menzbier and 
Sushkin’s salonikoi from Krim and W. Caucasus. (Orn. Monat., 1913, p. 192.) 
16. Brambling. Fringilla montifringilla. 
Fringilla montifringilla, L. (Syst. Nat. Ed. X, p. 179, 1758—Sweden 
Recorded by Sassi from Mosul in November and February, and by Zarudny 
in winter in small numbers in the Karun district. 
17. Rock Sparrow. Petronia petronia. 
(1) Petronia petronia exigua (Hellm) (Orn, Jahrb., 1902, p. 128— 
Rostov on the Don). 
(2) Petronia petronia intermedia, Hart. (Nov. Zool., 1901, p. 324— 
Gilgit.) 
None of our observers met with this species for certain. Sassi records exigua 
from Mosul on January 24th. 
Weigold saw some race at Biredjik where it breeds. 
Zarudny and Harms say that intermedia is not rare at Salmi in the Karun dis- 
trict in winter ; it breeds in the oak wood district of Central Persia (Woosnam). 
Meinerzhagen records a Rock Sparrow from the hills near Mosul in January and 
Kingdon Ward says he saw a vair at Samarra. 
