134 RAMBLES OF A NATURALIST. 



was wounded, and had come down like a rocket on the 

 spent quarry, which only just escapes by dropping into the 

 lentils. 



They are not a vindictive bird, though they occasionally 

 get wrathful with a trespasser near their nest. I once saw 

 a pair go at an Elanns and buffet him, in a wide open plain 

 where there was no apparent excuse for such conduct. 



In the rocky gorge which leads to the tombs of the kings, 

 the only birds we saw were a pair of Lanners, hermits in 

 that unutterable solitude. When those renowned sepulchres 

 held the monarchs for whom they were made and painted, 

 to kill a Lanner was a crime which could only be atoned 

 for by death ; but although on the present occasion 

 Mr. T. B. Hughes and I had no compunction, the birds 

 evidently remembered their sacred character and refused to 

 come within range. 



On an island in Birket-El-Kairoun I found the only nest 

 which was accessible on a projecting rock. Never having 

 had much experience in Falcons' nests, I was not a little 

 amused at the collection of rags and bones. It only wanted 

 a few ropes and bottles to be a regular marine store-shop. 

 Clearly the prosperous couple had decided, when the duties 

 of incubation were over, to convert it into a salon a manger. 

 Not to mention the various rags, bones, and remains of 

 aquatic birds, there were about two score fish, which, before 

 they were picked, weighed I should say in the aggregate 

 25 lbs., of the same species I believe as I had seen basking 

 on the water, I had no idea before that they were piscivor- 

 ous. There was no mistake about the ownership of the 

 nest, for I shot one of the Falcons, nor was this an act of 

 cruelty, for they only had one &gg, and that was empty and 

 broken. It seemed to agree fairly with the figure in the 

 "Ibis" (1864, p. 183, fig. i). I see from my note-book that 

 in Upper Egypt I also shot four. I cannot detail the cir- 

 cumstances attending the capture of each, but I have a 



