5 [ Vol. xxxix. 
Measurements, 33 mm. (length). 
The down is large, and in bulk appears sooty brown or 
sepia, separated pieces the same shade as the basal portion 
of the feathers, whitish immediately above the quills. 
Mr. Bunyard also exhibited mounted specimens of the 
nest-feathers and down of the American Green-winged Teal 
(Querquedula carolinensis), from Bear River, Utah (7. B. 
Gordon). The feathers had not been previously described. 
Feathers. Type, pale brown with a whitish centre and 
terminal portion ; other feathers in the nest differ consider- 
ably, some are rich chocolate-brown with an inverted 
V-shaped mark of whitish brown at the terminal end, 
another is whitish brown at the base, reddish brown at the 
terminal part, which forms a W-shaped mark, the inuer 
portion of the upper part of the letter are dark brown. 
Measurements, 24 mm. (length). 
Down. Chocolate-brown in bulk, and when separated 
whitish immediately above the quill, with inconspicnous 
white tips. In size and general appearance it possseses the 
characteristics of that of the Garganey (Q. querquedula). 
Major A. G. L. Siapren exhibited some rare birds and 
eggs from Palestine, and made the following remarks :—— 
During the autumn of 1917 I collected in the dry sandy 
country around Shellal, some 12 miles 8.E. of Gaza. The 
country, though comparatively fertile after the rains of 
winter, becomes in summer a vast tract of dry sandy desert, 
with little or no herbage, and no trees except here and there 
a dwarf tamarisk in a cactus compound. It is intersected 
by the Wadi Ghuzze, a winter river which in summer has 
only a few shallow pools at some distance from one another. 
Here I watched the autumn migration, and obtained such 
birds as Blackcaps, Wrynecks, Pratincoles, Kastern Nightin- 
gales, and a Slender-billed Curlew. 
After our advance in November I collected in the Jericho, 
Jerusalem, Ramleh, and Jaffa areas. One of the most 
interesting species to my mind was the Sunbird (Cinnyris 
