Vol. xiv.] 42 



Major Proctor read a letter from Herr Koren giving a 

 general account of the bird-life met with during his residence 

 in Novaya Zemlya. 



Mr. Radcliffe Saunders also exhibited (1) a clutch of 

 five eggs of the Red-footed Falcon (Falco vespertinus) , taken 

 in Hungary on May 23rd, 1903. The eggs were found in a 

 remarkable nest, consisting of wool and similar material, 

 placed on the top of a Carrion-Crow's nest. The structure was 

 eight inches deep, and Herr Cewa, who found it, stated that, 

 from his frequent observations, he believed it to have been 

 constructed by the Falcons. (2) A nest with five eggs of 

 the Meadow-Pipit (Anthus pratensis) taken near Faversham 

 in May 1903. The eggs were of a light blue colour like 

 those of the Wheatear, and marked with faint yellowish- 

 brown dots. 



Dr. P. Sushkin sent some descriptions of new subspecies 

 of birds from Palsearctic Asia, together with remarks on 

 their geographical distribution : — 



a. Middle Kirghiz Steppe (north of Caspian and Aral Seas, 

 between 52° and 65° long. E. of Greenwich). 



Sylvia curruca halimodendri, n. subsp. 

 S. curruca similis, ala ut in var. affini (67277), sed rostro 

 breviore ; supra multo pallidior et magis grisescens, 

 pileo occipiteque cinereis, minus brunnescentibus, quam 

 in S. curruca. A S. minuscula rostro paullo longiore, 

 formula remigum, dorso brunnescenti-griseo nee isabel- 

 lino, pileoque obscuriore distinguenda. 

 Hab. Arenosa ad fiuviorum Irghiz et TurgaY cursus in- 

 feriores, agri Kirgizorum pars meridionali-orientalis. 



Obs. This pale and greyish form of S. curruca is based on 

 six specimens killed by myself. Its range, so far as is known 

 at present, is rather restricted, as the bird certainly does not 

 penetrate to Turkestan or farther north and west of the 

 locality named ; the rest of Kirghiz Steppe being occupied 

 by the common S. curruca, L., together with its blunt-winged 

 ally, S. affinis. Blyth. Both these Warblers were observed 



