Mr. J. H. Cochrane on Falco lanarius. 183 



XIV. — Note on the Nesting of the Lanner Falcon (Falco lanarius, 

 Schlegel). By J. H. Cochrane. 



(Plate IV.) 



On the 26th of March, 1863, I left my Nile-boat, and set 

 out with some friends to visit the Pyramids of Ghizeh. While 

 they explored the wonders of the place, I walked towards the 

 three trees to the left of the Sphinx and Third Pyramid in 

 hopes of finding something worth shooting, as on a previous 

 visit, in 1862, I had there observed a pair of what I had ima- 

 gined to be Falco peregrinus. In this I was unsuccessful. A 

 Bedouin, who had followed me for some time, on hearing what 1 

 wanted, volunteered to get me four young birds of what he 

 called " Sagr el h'ohr," and forthwith ran off to find them. 

 Feeling very tired and decidedly sceptical about the Bedouin's 

 success, I paid very little attention to him ; but, on his return, 

 my curiosity was much excited by his saying there were no 

 young birds — only eggs. Of course I was all anxiety to see 

 them, and followed him to the south side of the Small or Third 

 Pyramid. A short but steep climb brought one up to the nest 

 (if it was worthy of the name) — a few feathers and still fewer 

 sticks in a hollow on one of the steps, about thirty feet from 

 the top, and on them four eggs. I saw both the birds — one 

 of them very distinctly. Most stupidly, I tried a long shot, 

 missed, and lost all chance of satisfactorily identifying them. I 

 feel almost sure they were not Falco peregrinus. The Arab 

 described them as having a red head. Two of the eggs were 

 addled, two incubated. 



On the 3rd of April following, on my return from a fortnight's 

 trip down the Rosetta branch of the Nile, the same Bedouin, 

 whom I had asked to look out for nests for me, brought me a 

 fine living female Falco lanarius and three eggs, which he had 

 taken on the Dashoor Pyramid. The eggs were much incubated, 

 and I unfortunately broke one in blowing it. The Bedouin 

 said he had taken the bird by throwing a cloth over it at night, 

 and in so doing had broken one of the eggs, which originally 

 had been four in number. These eggs much resemble those 

 before mentioned. The bird itself was brought by me to 



