THE BIRDS OF MESOBOTAM lA. 
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first few arrive in the last days of March and they become numerous througliout 
April ; many leave during September and few are to be seen up to October 25th. 
Cheesman and Buxton found it rare at Baghdad and thought that it only occurred 
there on passage, its place being taken there, as a breeding bird by the Indian 
Ring Dove {S. decaocto); otherwise it breeds freely in all areas from Tekrit to 
Fao and Karun district. 
Nests ready for eggs may be found in the last days of April ; eggs are reported 
during the first week of May and are general bj’ the middle of the month and may 
be found well on into June ; its nesting habits do not appear to differ from those of 
the European bird. 
Large flocks probably of passage migrants were noted in the Samarra district in 
April and in the willow' jungles at Shush on May 3rd, while Magrath saw' flocks 
migrating over the Sanniyat position regardless of a heavy artillery bombard- 
ment. 
Elev'en specimens examined: Amara, 6-6 18, 24-4 18. 9, 26-10-18; 
d, Baghdad, 29 7 18 (P. A. B.). Sheik Saad, 2 4-17; Zobeir, 11-5-16; 9, 
Basra, 2 8-16. Baghdad, 11-4-19 (P. Z. C. and R. E. C.). Wadi, 26-4-17 {Y) 
All these are arenicolor with paler wing coverts and sca.pulars, and usually paler 
mantle and head, than the European birds. One specimen shows the “rufous 
phase” which is also to be found in the typical race. 
(2) The typical race according to Wcigold passes through Urta on spring mig- 
ration from April 16th onwards. Sassi records it from RIosul, Zarudny gives it as 
a passage migrant in the Karun district. Vl'itherby identified one from Eeridan 
in W. Persia obtained by Woosuam on May 10th as belonging to this race. 
Pitman obtained two at Foluja on j).assage on Apiil 11th which from their dar- 
ker colour I assign to the typical race. They match British specimens well. 
321. Indian Rin,2T-Dove. Streptopelia decaocto ( = risorius 
auct.) “Fuchtee."’ 
Streptopelia decaocto decaocto (Friv.) (A. M. Tarsasag Evkiinyvei, 
1834-36, hi, p. 183, 1838— Turkey). 
Where this dove occurs it is quite common arid its bleeding distribution is evi- 
dently much influenced by the presence or absence of date palm groves. From 
Fao to Kurna it is resident and breeds, as also up the Eujjhrates where palm 
groves exist and also at Baghdad w'here it is common. 
In some places, such as Amara, Kut, Qalet Saleh it is a winter visitor and not 
at all common even then, a flock perhaps frequenting the same spot where food 
is plentiful, such as mule lines, etc., all the w'inter ; w'hile in other places, as Feluja 
and the Samarra-Tekrit area where the locality is not suited to it, it w'ould 
appear to be absent altogether. 
It nests usually in palm trees, sometimes as high uj) as 30 feet, and the nesting 
season is a long one, eggs being re 2 )ortcd eai ly in May up to Se 2 )tember. 
Four specimens e.xamined : Basra, 28-7-16; 9, Ka'/.imain, 30-3-19 
(P. Z. C. and R. E. C.): 9, Baghdad, 11-9-17, , 23-1-18 (P. A. B.) 
322. Little Brown Dove. Streptopelia senegalensis. 
Streptopelia senegalensis camhayejisis (Cm.). (Syst. Nat. I. 2, jc. 779, 
1789 — Cambay, Bombay Pres.) 
The status of this dove is quite unknow'n in Mesopotamia. Cumming obtaine<l 
one at Fao in January in a severe storm and Buxton got one female at Amara on 
February 1st, 1918. I have examined both these skins, whose wings measure 127'5 
and 130 mm. and they are in no w'ay sei)arable from birds from the Bombay Presi- 
dency, and this species must be added to the list of those- Indo-Beluchi birds which 
straggle along the Persian Gulf into Mesopotamia. Hartert (Vog. P. F. pi. 495). 
