292 Mr. W. H. Simpson's Ornithological Notes 



rope ; a Greek gunsmith — our only volunteer — carried the other ; 

 Kriiper and myself completed the party. It took us two hours 

 to reach the top of the line of cliffs, and then we had to scramble 

 down a rough gully to a point where a wild olive-tree grew out 

 of a crack in the rock. This tree was the principal mark we had 

 taken from below, where it seemed to be a few feet to the left of 

 the line where the nest should be found. Underneath this the 

 precipice broke sheer away to the bottom, but from the edge of 

 it nothing could be seen ; and even by getting into the tree and 

 hanging over as far as was safe, we were none the wiser. Mean- 

 while some one threw down a stone, and out darted the bird, 

 taking a downward course as before, so that she was two or 

 three gunshots off before we saw her. The light-coloured band 

 on the lower part of the back was very noticeable on this occasion. 

 Neither of the birds made their appearance again during opera- 

 tions. We then cut away the scrub to make standing room for 

 those who had to hold the rope, and my servant was placed in front 

 to receive orders. Everything being ready, they lowered me a 

 few feet over the first crest of the precipice to a ledge two or three 

 inches wide, where I could just find standing room. All doubt 

 was now removed : there lay a pair of whitish-looking eggs — a 

 long way farther below — upon the flattened bowl of an immense 

 oval nest, seven-eighths of which rested on a platform inside the 

 great fissure : this fissure concealed it from observation and 

 protected it from the weather. If the Eagles had searched the 

 whole line of precipices, they could not have found a more 

 suitable spot than this snug corner at the mouth of the 

 cave, or one indeed more interesting and curious in many 

 other respects. The outermost branches of the wild olive- 

 tree hung over the top and rustled in the brisk breeze, but 

 below no draught could come : the sun baked fiercely upon the 

 rock beneath, where a wild fruit-tree had put out its pretty pink 

 blossoms about the same time that the Eagle had laid her eggs. 

 It was hot summer hei"e, yet winter a few feet above. And then, 

 what a prospect must these Eagles enjoy of the wide domain 

 over which they reign supreme ! The compact island of iEto- 

 lico, completely covered by the town, lies almost immediately 

 underneath their eyry. The natives may be seen promenading 



