THE BIRDS OF MESOPOTAMI Ag 405 
(1) Fourteen specimens examined: ¢, Shustar, 20-1-18, 15-1-18 (F. M .B.); 
¢ . Khazimain, 9-2-19 (two) # Mosul, 7-12-18: 9, Sheik Saad, 3-3-17 (P. Z. C. 
and R. E. C.);@, Amara, 13-12-17 (P. A. B.); @, Samarra, 7-3-18, 13-12-17, 
&, 6-3-18, 18-1-18, 13-12-17 : 4, Adhaim, 8-11-17 (C. R. P.) ;@, Sulimania, 
14-11-19 (Ross). 
In ochruros the black comes further down on the underparts than in pheni- 
curoides ; the underwings black and the auxillaries dark grey tinged with orange ; 
some of the above males are not quite typical in that the black comes further 
down than usual, in one the vent only is not black and in three others the belly 
and vent is dark grey tinged with rusty orange, however they agree better with 
ochruros than with gibraltariensis (titys auct.), as in this race there appears to 
be never any orange tinge on the axillaries and vent. In young males the 
upperparts are grey with brown edges and the black underparts, except the 
chin, are much hidden by grey and fulvous edges. The females are warmer 
brown above, less grey brown ; browner, less smoky grey below; more 
isabelline in axillaries and underwing, and rather smaller than females of 
gibraltariensis. 
Wings 481-86, 277-83 mm. 
(2) Eleven specimens examined: @, Amara, 13-1-18, 29-11-17, 10-1-18, 
25-10-18, 25-10-17, 9, 3-11-17, 29-11-17, 18-12-17, 21-1-18 (P. A. B.);@, Zoar, 
4-2-19 (P. Z. C. and R. E. C.); 2, Shustar, 7-1-18 (F. M. B.). 
These males are not so black on the back as specimens from the Punjab, 
also the wing formula seems to be often different. In Punjab birds the second 
primary equals the seventh or is between seventh and eighth in length; in 
these Mesopotamian specimens the second is often between the sixth and 
seventh, there also appears to be a slight difference in size of the bill. 
Possibly the Persian breeding bird is separable, but without a series of 
breeding birds from Persia and india it would be unwise to recognise it. 
Zarudny gives semenovi as a winter visitor and titys as a passage migrant 
in the Karun district. The former bird I do not know and the latter, if it really 
occurs, is a very long way out of its range. 
There is no evidence that semirufa occurs in our area. 
122. Eversmann’s Redstart. Phoenicurus erythronota. 
Phenicurus erythronota, Eversm. (Add. ad. Pall. Zoog. Ross. As. 2, 
p. 11, 1841—Altai) 
This is another of the species which comes in winter into Mesopotamia from the 
far N. E. Buxton obtained one at Amara on December 31st, 1917, and saw a 
male there on March 11th, 1918. Zarudny lists it as a winter visitor. There 
is a specimen in the British Museum from Fao. 
123. Nightingale. Luscinia megarhynchos. 
Luscinia megarhynchos africana, Fisch. and Reichw. (J. F. O., 1884, 
p- 182—near Kilimandjaro, E. Africa). 
Most of the records apparently refer to this Nightingale. It is almost cer- 
tainly a summer visitor, arriving at the beginning of April ; Cheesman obtained 
one at Sheik Saad on March 31st and heard it in song at Basra on April 23rd. 
Logan Home says there were many at Amara and thinks that they were breed- 
ing or about to breed in the orange groves there, where they were singing on 
May 10th, an observation which Buxton confirms. Cheesman notes that they 
were evidently breeding at Kazimain on May 15th where they had been sing- 
ing for a fortnight, and he obtained a specimen. 
Of the song he says it compares well with that of the English bird but has some 
slightly different notes. He heard it at Shush on May 2nd. 
In the Urfa district Weigold records that the European Nightingale, DL. m. 
megarhynchos arrived on April 12th and became common and was seen daily 
