from Mesolo7ighi and Southern JEtulia. 287 



observation in these shepherds, I may mention that not one of 

 them knew of the nest until we pointed it out, although there is 

 every probability that a pair of these birds have bred somewhere 

 in the cliff from time immemorial. Dr. Kriiper and myself, 

 with the assistance of my Italian servant, took the measure of 

 the position as well as we were able. From this it appeared that 

 the hole containing the nest was 70 feet below the edge of the 

 precipice, and about 100 feet above the point where a plumb-line 

 let fall from the top touched the talus, which sloped away from 

 the base of the cliff at an angle of 60° towards the edge of the 

 second tier of precipices. The chief difficulty arose from the 

 cavity, or rather the mouth of it, being some 6 or 8 feet inside 

 the plumb-line — so much did the upper part of the cliff overhang 

 the rest of it. This caused our defeat, as the person let down 

 would still have been at that distance from the edge of the hole, 

 and must either have swung himself in, or have trusted to some 

 more complicated apparatus than our party could manage. The 

 conduct of the sitting bii"d, when driven off, made us think there 

 was an egg not very far from being hatched, though when it 

 became evident that the siege was to be raised, we tried to per- 

 suade ourselves it must be a young one. But the view which 

 this cliff commands was some compensation after all our trouble. 

 Forming almost the highest part of the upper tier of precipices 

 on the south side of the western arm of the Klissoura, it faces 

 the salient angle which divides the two arms from each other. 

 The entire depth of the intervening gorge at this point is about 

 1200 feet, yet so narrow that the Lammergeyer could cross it 

 in half a minute, and then sit on the most projecting rock of the 

 salient angle watching our proceedings. To us wingless bipeds 

 this would have been a task of three hours at least. The mule- 

 path looks like a thread below, dotted occasionally with a few 

 travellers and their beasts of burden. Should one of these 

 break down, his owner divides the load amongst the others, 

 skins him if he has time, and the carcase, which has been 

 watched by scores of eager eyes, is very soon transferred to the 

 cliffs above. Such a community of Vultures as there is through- 

 out the Klissoura would appear to disgust the more noble Eagles 

 and Falcons, or perhaps the place is too confined for them. The 



