Vol. xxxix. | 84, 
I procured a series of five Melanocorypha, all shot from 
one flock on the Wadi Gaza, at Shellal, near Beersheba, 
on 10.9.17, where these birds watered every evening iu 
thousands. ; . 
The south Palestine birds have been compared with 
Melanocorypha bimaculata from India, Persia, and Turkestan, 
and with Brehm’s type of Melanocorypha rufescens (Brehm, 
Vogelfang. p. 120, 1855), a winter bird from the Sudan, and 
clearly a typical Melanocorypha 6. bimaculata with a sliaht 
rufous tinge. 
The Palestine birds differ orisiderably- on Melano- 
corypha b. bimaculata, in both colour and size of bill, and 
I propose to name them 
Melanocorypha bimaculata gaza, subsp. nov. 
Type in Tring Museum. Male. Shellal. 10.9.17. 
Whole upper parts much more rufescent than M. 6. bi- 
maculata, and the eye-stripe pale buff instead of white. The 
dark centres of the feathers on the back and crown a redder 
brown than in J. 6. bimaculata. The black patches on the 
sides of the neck are smaller, more confined, and more 
widely separated. A continuous band of dark brown spots 
extends across the chest, reaching to nearly two centimetres 
below the black patches ; whereas in MV. 6. bimaculata, these 
spots never extend across the chest, and are only rarely 
found at all, even on the sides of the breast. Flanks and 
breast much darker russet than in M.. b. bimaculata, the 
white abdominal patch being smaller. Bill very much 
shorter and stumpier. 
Culmen, from end of feathering,6 mm. Wing 115 mm. 
Wing of 5 specimens :— 
rs DS da nae 115 & 116 mm. 
es etek eee 108 & 116 mm. 
l unsexed ... 115 mm. 
Culmen of 5 specimens 6 mm. Average culmen of 
10 M. 6. bimaculata 7 mm. 
