THj^ BIUDS OF MESOPOTAMIA. 
663 
in the British Museum and he tells me that it has been incorrectly identified as 
the Indian bird, melanocephala, and is undoubtedly an example of the African 
bird — the Sacred Ibis — Th. oethiopicn. 
237. Common Crane Megalornis grus. 
Megalornis grus (L.) (Syst. Xat. Ed. x, p. 141, 17o8 — Sweden). 
The Common Crane is a not uncommon winter visitor and probably a fair 
number pass through on passage for quarters further south. It seems to be 
generally distributed in the marshes. Xo specimens were obtained. 
238. Demoiselle Crane, Anthrrpoides virgo. 
Anthropoides virgo (L.) (Syst. Xat. Ed. x, p. 141, 1758 — X. Africa). 
There are few records of this Crane ; probably the status is much like that of 
the Common Crane but fewer in numbers. 
239. Great Bustard. Otis tarda. 
The Great Bustard is almost confined to the rolling plains in the north of our 
area ; Meinertzhagen records that it was not uncommon round Jlosul in Januar<( 
1914, where he saw droves of seven and fifteen birds. Thornhill saw seven near 
Wadi early in March 1916. 
There are somewhat vague and uncertain records of the bird from Kut and 
Feluja, but Watts saw a flocks of six, a day’s march from Amara ; Weigold saw 
two near Urfa in .April and Egerton obtained one at Kizil Robat. 
Exact status unknown. Xo specimens examined. 
240. Little Bustard. Otis tetrax. 
The status of this bird is quite unknown, Tristram met with it at T7rfa in 1881 
and it occurs over the Syrian boundary in that region. It was vagueh’ reported 
in several places in lower Mesopotamia, but the only record which seems certain 
is of a bird seen near Shush by Watts, and reported to me by Ludlow, who 
deseribed the characteristic “ butterfly” flight. Gumming relates that he once 
shot a smaller Bustard than the Houbara at Bushire and obtained another like 
it on board ship at Fao ; probably they were of this species although thev were 
never satisfactorily identified. 
Zarudny .says this Bustard occurs in the Karun district where also the Florican 
(Sypheotis auritus) is an accidental wanderer. 
241. Houbara.. Chlamydotis undulata. 
Chlamydotis undulata macqueeni (Gray). (111. Ind. Zook, ii, 1834 India). 
The Houbara is pretty common in suitable places throughout Mesopotamia 
and is resident, or at the most a local migrant. It is, of course, a bird of grassy 
plains and desert country in which there is a certain amount of scrub. In the 
Samarra-Tekrit district it is common, occurring in parties of three to ten. some- 
times singly, and it is reported as fairly common from Hit downwards on the 
Euphrates and as far as Kut on the Tigris; below this it is rather less numerous, 
no doubt due to suitable ground being less extensive. In the foothills it is 
common again at Mendali, Shush, Bund-i-Kir and doubtless elsewhere and it 
inhabits suitable parts of the Arabian desert on the west side of the river. 
According to Mr. Phil by it is common in the Hinterland of Arabia and breeds 
freely there. 
Logan Home and Aldworth found two nests on May 5th in the Samarra district 
and another on May 19th on the grassy plains near the river ; the nests contained 
one, two and three eggs respectively, those taken on the 19th being very far 
incubated. Pitman reports it breeding in May and .Tune on the plain between 
Baghdad and Museyib, and it evidently nests round Kut, Rumailah and doubt- 
less in many other localities. There are eggs in the British Museum from Koweit 
