Rev. II. B. Tristram on the Ornithology of Palestine. 69 



of our ai'rival, ignorant of the existence of C umbrinus, we were 

 much perplexed by the new note, but were soon satisfied that we 

 had come upon au additional species. We used to watch this 

 great colony of Corvince as, every morning at daybreak, they 

 passed in long lines over our tents to the northward, the Rooks 

 in solid phalanx leading the way, and the Ravens in loose order 

 bringing up the rear, generally far out of shot. Before retiring 

 for the night, popular assemblies of the most uproarious cha- 

 racter were held in the trees of Mount Olivet and the Kedron ; 

 and not till after sunset did they withdraw in silence, mingled 

 indiscriminately, to their safe roosting-places in the sanctuary. 

 On a wet day — and there was some deplorable weather at Jeru- 

 salem — the Rooks would pertinaciously set out on their travels ; 

 but the Ravens staid at home, sitting about by twos and threes 

 among the olive trees, generally in silence, but ever and anon 

 ejaculating a lugubrious remark on the weather, or warning 

 from their neighboui-hood the draggled Jays, whose soft plumage 

 was no better protection than a lady's evening muslin in such a 

 down-pour. Still they kept a sharp look-out, and allowed no 

 near approach on our part. We found that our only chance of 

 obtaining specimens was by shooting them as they came to roost 

 at night ; but the Moslems look upon all birds which resort to 

 holy places as sacred, and we were warned by the Consul that 

 firing at them near the Mosque or in the Kedron valley might be 

 deemed sacrilege and provoke an attack by the guardians of the 

 Haram, aided by the boys always on the look-out for the chance 

 of a melee with Christian dogs. My friends determined however 

 to run the risk, and, having carefully laid their plans, stationed 

 themselves before sunset in convenient hiding-places near the 

 walls, when, as the birds crossed over from the Mount of Olives 

 towards the city, at a given signal they fired simultaneously, 

 and, hastily gathering up the spoils, had retreated out of reach and 

 were hurrying to the tents before an alarm could be raised, as 

 fortunately the gates of the city were already locked. The dis- 

 charge of ten barrels had brought down fourteen specimens, of 

 five species — C. corax, C, umhrinus (six specimens), C. agricola, 

 C. comix, and C. monedula. The same stratagem was repeated 

 with almost equal success the next evening ; but on the third 



