from Mesolonghi and Sou/hern ^"EtoUa. 281 



restless little Russet Wheatcar {Sax. stapezina). Towering above 

 all the mural precipices of Varassovo {Chalkis), Aracyntbus 

 affords an appropriate abode for tbe numerous llaptores \vhich 

 look down upon the wade extent of forest, morass, and lagoons 

 beneath them. 



Of the Vultures, V. fulvus is the most common; indeed it 

 may be said to be numerous, having extensive breeding-places 

 in Mount Varassovo and in the Klissouras of Aracyntbus. The 

 former mountain is a great favourite with them, as it commands 

 a most extensive prospect, not only over the Mesolonghi district, 

 but also over the great and varied plain of Northern Elis in the 

 Peloponnesus. The winter of 1859-60 was a good one for 

 Vultures, as cattle died in immense quantities owing to a want 

 of grass ; indeed there was more work for them than they could 

 get through, in spite of their numbers. 



Throughout the long range of Aracyntbus, the face of the 

 mountain towards the lagoon abruptly terminates in a line of 

 precipices of moderate depth near Mesolonghi, but increasing as 

 one approaches ^Etolia and the head of the lagoon itself. I 

 am not sure that the Griffon breeds in these ; but the mountain 

 is near the latter town penetrated, at right angles to this line of 

 lower precipices, by three tremendous fissures, which we used to 

 know as the Grand Gorge, the Little Klissoura, and the Great 

 Klissoura. The two first pierce deeply into the heart of the 

 mountain, but the latter cuts completely through it into the 

 great plain of Agrinion, the richest and most important district 

 of Central iEtolia. In all three Klissoui'as the Griffon is at home. 

 My companion, Dr. Kriiper, with the assistance of his German 

 servant, took two or three nests in February last out of the 

 Grand Gorge, where also he noticed Gypa'ctus barhatus and 

 Strix bubo, the latter probably breeding. As the Greek shep- 

 herds could not be induced to venture down the rocks in search 

 of eggs, Kriiper and his man had to do it themselves. The plan 

 they adopted was, that one should hold the rope whilst the other 

 descended hand under hand : not difficult so far as the descent 

 is concerned, but by no means easy for getting up again. About 

 a week before I joined him, they were working at a nest in the 

 Little Klissoura, when Kriiper, who was at the toj), felt the rope 



