381 
“« THE BIRDS OF MESOPOTAMIA. ” 
BY 
Ciaup B. Ticesurst, M.A., M.B.O.U., late Captain, R.A.M.C. 
ASSISTED BY 
P, A. Buxton, M.A., M.B.O.U., late Captain, R.A.M.C. 
AND 
Mayor R. E. Cuoeesman, M.B.O.U., 5th Buffs. 
Parr If 
(With 2 plates.) 
Continued from page 250 of this Volume. 
66. Grey Hypocolius. Hypocolius ampelinus. 
Hypocolius ampelinus, Bb. (Consp. Av. I., p. 336, 1850—Abyssinian 
Coast). 
This species is evidently a very local bird in Mesopotamia and its status not 
satisfactorily cleared up. Some observers did not meet with it at all and others 
who came across it found it locally common. To Cumming belongs the credit 
of first describing the nesting habits of this extraordinary bird (Ibis, 1886, p. 479) 
which were previously unknown, and he supplemented his observations in the 
B. N. H. 8. Journal (12, p. 760); since then nothing has been written about 
it of any moment. Cumming considered that at Fao it was a summer visitor 
arriving early in April from the 8. E., but Zarudny records that it winters in small 
numbers in the Karun district, where however it is commoner in the breeding 
season. Pitman too found it plentiful in the Adhaim river from September 
24th up to the time he left there on November 17th, so that it seems certain 
that some at all events pass the winter in the country. 
Buxton, who met with this species at Amara in June, considered it to be a 
bird of the date palms, which opinion coincides with Cumming’s. He describes it 
as a very sprightly pird, very active and restless, frequenting the young palms 
and running up and down the stems of the leaves like a Babbler ; the black nape 
feathers can be erected into a small crest under excitement. He describes the 
flight as long, rapid and straight, 300-400 yards at a time, the tail being held 
straight behind. Pitman found his colony on the Adhaim frequenting low 
scrub jungle which on both banks extend for nearly a mile between fairly high 
cliffs. This scrub, almost impenetrable in places, consisted of acacia, tamarisk, 
poplar and willow, and the Hypocolius invariably preferred the parts contain- 
ing poplar. Where they occurred they were exceedingly plentiful from Sep- 
tember 24th to November 17th ; in addition to Buxton’s notes on their flight and 
habits he says “when a flock comes down to a bush they often wheel swiftly 
several times like a flock of sparrows do, or else they drop head first towards 
their objective and steady themselves at the end by cocking up their long tails 
over their backs. They usually keep on the outside of the bushes when 
