Ornithological Notes from Constantinople. 63 
stantinople, but were not able to distinguish the species. 
Numerous specimens, however, which we saw hung up in 
the poulterers'’ shops in Constantinople and in other towns on 
the Bosphorus were all Garrulus glandarius ; so that our ob¬ 
servations do not quite agree with Mr. Dresser’s statement in 
his article on the Black-headed Jay, that that “ is the com¬ 
monest species near Constantinople.” 
We notice that MM. Alleon and Yian (Bev. Zool. 1873, 
p. 243) speak of an intermediate form as being prevalent, 
which might be well expected where the two representative 
species inosculate. 
So much (or so little, perhaps we should say) for what we 
saw in life. As regards museums of natural history at Con¬ 
stantinople, we believe there is but one, that of the American 
College at Bebek, on the European bank of the Bosphorus, 
about six miles from the imperial city. This museum is, in¬ 
deed, still in embryo, but contains a good series of stuffed 
specimens of the birds of the Bosphorus and its vicinity, ori¬ 
ginally made by Air. T. Robson, and lately acquired from him 
by the authorities of the institution. Dr. Albert L. Long, 
to whom the care of the collection is confided, was obliging 
enough to give us every facility for examining it. Many of 
the birds were of considerable interest; and we may offer the 
following notes upon some few specimens which especially 
attracted our attention. 
Syrnium altjco (?). 
The collection contains a very curious black Owl which we 
consider to be a melanism of Syrnium aluco ; and Dr. Long 
told us that Robson, who shot the bird near Constantinople, 
was of the same opinion. This specimen is rather smaller 
than average examples of Syrnium aluco , and is nearly black ; 
but in a favourable light one can see traces of the markings 
characteristic of that species, showing faintly, like the nearly 
obsolete spots on the skin of a black leopard. 
Coracias indica (Linn.). 
A single mounted specimen of the Indian Roller is in the 
collection, which is stated to have been shot on the railway- 
