142 RAMBLES OF A NATURALIST. 



about a hundred Egyptian Vultures, in graceful soaring 

 circles, wheeling far up in the blue vault of heaven. I sus- 

 pect this may be "the square called Rohneli, below the 

 castle, which is the place for executing capital offenders," 

 mentioned by Hasselquist in his " Travels in the Levant, 

 1749 — 52," where he says these birds assemble with Egyptian 

 Vultures every morning and evening to receive the alms of 

 fresh meat, left them by the legacies of wealthy great men, 

 or at any rate that the two places are near one another. 



A bird of this species has lived twenty years in my 

 father's possession, and is now (Christmas day, 1875) in 

 good health. It was sent from Sierra Leone. 



20. Black Kite, Mihnis migrans (Bodd.). 



I cannot have much doubt that we saw this bird, perhaps 

 very often, yet I do not feel sure. There is much conflicting 

 evidence about it, but at any rate I can say positively, that 

 the Yellow-billed Kite is much the commoner of the two 

 species. 



21. Common Buzzard, Bnteo vulgaris, Leach. 



A very dusty specimen in a birdstufifer's at Alexandria, 

 which I have not much hesitation in referring to this species. 

 I am the more disposed to think so, as my father has lately 

 obtained a specimen from M. Boucard, which was killed at 

 Zagazig. 



22. Desert Buzzard, Bnteo desertornm (Daudin). 



In "The Ibis" for 1871, Captain Shelley hazarded a 

 guess that this Hawk would be found in Egypt. I am now 

 able to report two authentic cases. The first was shot by 



