Rev. H. B. Tristram on the Ornithology of Palestine. 261 



swamps of Esdraeloiij and especially by the lagoons at the mouth 

 of the Kishon. 



Athene persica (Vieill.) ; A. meridionalis, Risso. The 

 " Boomeh " is one of the commonest and most universally distri- 

 buted birds in every part of the Holy Land. In the olive-yards 

 round the villages, in the rocks of the wadys, in the thickets by 

 the water-side, in the tonibs or on the ruins, among the deso- 

 late heaps which mark the sites of ancient Judah, on the sandy 

 mounds of Beersheba, or on the spray-beaten fragments of Tyre, 

 his low wailing note is sure to be heard at sunset, and himself 

 seen bowing and keeping time to his own music. The Little 

 Owl is a great favourite ; he is lucky, and there is a strong pre- 

 judice against injuring him, which may partly account for his 

 exceptional numbers. It breeds early, but as I have had nest- 

 lings brought to me in May, it is possible it sometimes rears 

 a second family. When disturbed, it disappears with magical 

 celerity into a hollow tree, or a hole in the ground, or the rocks, 

 as the case may be. 



Ketupa ceylonensis (Gm.). We can only point to one 

 locality as the certain residence of this bird in Palestine. It is 

 perhaps the most interesting addition, as well as the most un- 

 expected, which we made to the fauna of the country ; and was 

 found by us in the wild wooded glen of Wady el Kurn, run- 

 ning up from the Plain of Acre. We discovered it accidentally, 

 and at first took it for the Bubo ascalaphus, when it bolted out 

 of the dense foliage of a great Carob-tree under which we were 

 standing ; we thus put up no less than four individuals in two 

 days. When disturbed, the bird was more than ordinarily per- 

 plexed, even for an Owl ; but owing to the difficulty of crossing 

 the gully and the dense jungle we were only able to secure a 

 single specimen which had been put up from a Carob-tree by 

 Mr. Bartlett, and was marked by me on to a ledge of rocks on 

 the opposite side of the wady. The wady possesses a perennial 

 stream, well shaded by evergreen timber, and swarming with 

 fish and crabs, the favourite and probably exclusive food of the 

 Ketupa. I obtained my specimen on December 8th. 



Scops giu (Scop.). Very common in spring in old ruins and 



