73 [Vol. xxv. 



while both Dr. Koenig and the Hod. L. W. Rothschild had 

 obtained eggs in Algeria. 



It had long been known that an isolated colony of Darters 

 of the African species, Plotus rufus, Lac, existed at the 

 Lake of Antioch in N. Syria, but a single female specimen 

 from Mesopotamia in the British Museum had been cata- 

 logued as P. melanog aster, Grnel. Mr. Tomlinson had ascer- 

 tained that a considerable breeding- colony also existed in 

 the marshes of the Lower Tigris, and a re-examination of the 

 bird in the British Museum collection showed that it was a 

 specimen of P. rufus. This gave a considerable extension 

 of the range of that species. Another very interesting point 

 in connection with this discovery was the fact that a small 

 proportion of the eggs obtained on the Tigris showed distinct 

 purplish - brown shell - markings, as already noticed by 

 Dr. Ottossou (Arkiv for Zoologi, Bd. iv. no. 9, pi. i.) in 

 eggs from the Antioch colony. Mr. Tomlinson had also 

 sent some interesting field-notes on Hypocolius ampelinus, 

 Bonap., and had ascertained that its breeding-range extended 

 considerably further north than the Fao district, whence it 

 had previously been recorded. 



Mr. Rothschild remarked that while on the subject of 

 Nightjars he would like to point out that there appeared to 

 be two distinct forms of Caprimulgus cegyptius — a darker 

 race, which inhabited S.E. Asia and migrated to N.E. Africa 

 in winter; and a paler race, C. cegyptius saharce, Erlanger, 

 which was resident in North Africa. Though both these 

 forms were met within winter in N.E. Africa, probably only 

 the paler one remained to breed. 



Mr. Ogilvie-Grant suggested that the dimorphic coloration 

 of C. cegyptius might be a parallel case to that of Scotomis 

 climacurus (Vieill.) and C. nigricans, Salvad. The collections 

 formed by Mr. Zapbiro on the Sobat and Baro Rivers had 

 clearly proved that the latter was merely a darker phase of 

 S. climacurus, and not a geographical race : specimens in 

 which the ground-colour of the upperparts showed every inter- 

 mediate shade of colour had been obtained in one locality. 



