479 
from the Dead Sea and North-western Arabia. 
the wadies that mu into the Dead Sea from the east. These 
specimens were obtained at 1000 ft. below the level of the 
Mediterranean. 
4. Petronja stulta. 
Petronia stulta Tristr. Pal. p. 68 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. xii. 
p. 289. 
a. S • Wadi Zerka Main, E. of Dead Sea. 24 April, 1909. 
This bird is fairly common in the rock-country near the 
Dead Sea, but does not extend far into Arabia proper. 
5. Passer moabiticus. 
Passer moabiticus Tristr. Pal. p. 68 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. xii. 
p. 321. 
a-c. S • South end of Dead Sea. 3 May, 1909. 
d-f. ? . „ „ 2 & 3 May, 1909. 
This handsome Sparrow is peculiar to the southern coast 
of the Dead Sea Depression, and, so far, has only been 
recorded from three localities, namely, at two spots on the 
S.W. shore, and again in the reed-beds at the S.E. corner 
of the Sea. Its range is therefore extremely limited. 
I found it breeding in some numbers in the jungle that 
surrounds the mouth of Wadi el Hessa, in the Ghor es 
Sarfeh. This jungle borders the Dead Sea on the extreme 
south-east, and is composed of tamarisk and tall reeds, 
which grow to a height of 15 ft. The Sparrows were not 
numerous, and were very shy and wild. Their note is sparrow¬ 
like, but easily distinguished from that of any other Sparrow. 
The nests were built at a height of from six feet to twenty 
feet above the ground, and were placed in the branches of 
the tamarisk. In the wet swampy places, where men 
could not walk, the nests were placed low down, but on 
the hard ground they were built in the topmost slender 
twigs of the trees. The nests themselves (see text-fig. 5, 
p. 480) were large structures made of thorny twigs, interwoven 
very firmly, and the entrance-hole at the top was completely 
covered over; in fact, no entrance-hole could be distinguished, 
even at close quarters. Inside, the nest was very deep and 
