THE BIRDS OF MESOPOTAMIA. 385 
17 skins examined: Amara, 5-4-18, 18-12-17, 13-3-18, 9, 1-11-17, d, 24-3-18; 
Kumait, 13-11-17 (P. A. B.) ; Shustar, 4-1-18 (F. M. B.); @, Sheik Saad, 24-3-17, 
14-12-16 ; ¢, 14-3-17 (P. Z. C. andR. E. C.) ; Nahr Umar, 24-3-18 ; Samarra, 5-2- 
18, 6-3-18 (two); Feluja, 22-3-17 (two); Shat-al-Adhaim, 15-11-17 (C. R. P.). 
Wings both sexes 55-62 ; possibly odd ones of these (unsexed) may belong te 
the race abietina. 
(2) Weigold states that this race was the commonest small bird at Urfa from 
April 10th to 23rd and that all were females, the males having probably passed 
through. He says his skins are not quite typical (wing 56-58) but on geogra- 
phical grounds he considers them to be of this race! I can only remark that 
many females of the typical race are within his measurements and that assuming 
what you wish to prove does not always lead to accuracy. Zarudny gives it as 
a winter visitor and passage migrant in the Karun district. 
12 skins examined: 3, Amara, 21-1-18, 12-3-18 ; Ali Gharbi, 3-3-18 (P. A. B.) ; 
2, Busra, 22-4-17; ¢, Sheik Saad, 29-3-17 ; Khazimain, 6-4-19 (two) (P. Z. C. 
and R. E. C.) Samarra, 3-18, 13-12-17, 5-2-18 (C. R. P.); Basra, 9, 18-3-18, 
Q, 20-11-17 (C. B. T.). 
Wings 6, 63-68°5. @, 58-60°5 m.m. 
(3) The Siberian Chiffchaff is probably commoner than records indicate ; 
we have two skins only, obtained as follows:— ¢@, Amara, 26-10-17 (P. A. B.) ; 
©, Kazimain, 16-3-19 (P. Z. C. and R. E. C.). Zarudny records it as a winter 
visitor and Cumming met with it at Fao in March and May. 
(4) A Chiffchaff obtained by myself at Basra on November 20th, 1917, I cannot 
refer to any of these three races. It lacks all green and yellow coloration in the 
plumage, even the edges of the wings have no greenish wash. This specimen 
matches pretty well a series of sindianus which I obtained in the type locality, 
except that its bill is a trifle larger than most, and to this race I must refer it. 
P. c. sindianus is very close to Ph. neglectus lorenzit which is a rather rare’ bird 
and of apparently limited distribution (Caucasus), and this might be expected to 
* occur in Mesopotamia. The coloration of the upper and underparts are precisely 
the same in both, the only differences I can see are (1) in sindianus—the bend of 
wing, under wing coverts and axillaries are pale yellow, not white or isabelline 
white as in lorenzii ; (2) the wing formula is slightly different,—in sindianus the 
second is equal to the ninth, or between this and the eighth or tenth, whereas in 
lorenzii it is equal to the eighth or between this and the seventh. In these 
characters my Basra bird resembles sindianus and not lorenzit. 
73. Willow Wren. Phylloscopus trochilus. 
(1) Phylloscopus trochilus, trochilus L. (Syst. Nat. Ed., x., p. 188, 
1758—England). 
(2) Phylloscopus trochilus eversmanni, Bp. (Consp., Av. 1, p. 289, 
1850—Kazan and Orenberg in Russia). 
The Willow Wrens are spring and autumn passage migrants, both races pass- 
ing through about the same time. A few arrive in March ; Cumming records it 
on March 17th and there were a few at Basra on the 20th ; most however come 
in the first half of April; they pass through again in September, all our records 
relating to the last three weeks of the month. Weigold noted numbers of the 
typical race at Urfa from April 10th to 19th and also obtained two of the eastern 
race (eversmannt) on the 10th. Zarudny lists the latter as a winter visitor ! 
(1) Four skins examined: 3, Amara, 17-4-18, 9, 18-9-18 (P. A. B.) ; Basra, 
19-4-17 ; Khazimain, 6-4-19 (P. Z. C. and R. E. C.). 
(2) Three skins examined: f Amara, 18-9-18, 9, 18-9-18 ; Baghdad, 21-9-17 
(PA. B.): 
11 
