of Aqmla, imperialis a7id Falco sacer. 377 



peared. Nothing remained, after due and proper identification, 

 but to walk up and take possession. The nest was of a good size, 

 its exterior circumference being, at a guess, 15 feet; the interior 

 was slightly depressed, but only enough to keep the eggs (two 

 in number) from rolling .out. It was lined with wool, which 

 rested upon an immense circular platform of sticks entirely 

 filling up the boll of the pollard, from which the young willow- 

 branches sprang upwards in a circle all round the nest. By this 

 means the entire structure was enclosed in a sort of arbour, which 

 would screen the birds from the wind and sun, and from general 

 observation. The eggs, which were slightly incubated, resemble 

 each other considerably; the one figured (Plate XII. fig. 3) 

 measuring 29 in. by 2'2 in., and being of a uniform dull-white 

 colour, with frequent marks and scratches and occasionally 

 larger blotches of pale brownish-grey. 



On the evening of the 29th another fortunate discovery was 

 made by the same party, and, this time, of the nest of a bird, 

 whose eggs, it is believed, were almost unknown previously in 

 authentic cabinets. We were strolling on a low fiat island in 

 the Danube, the edge of which is well covered with tall poplars 

 and other trees. Opposite this belt of trees, and across the 

 river, the Turkish shore rises pretty steeply to a level with the 

 plateau of the Dobrudska, whilst behind, towards the mainland 

 of AVallachia, there stretches an immense tract of low ground, 

 partly swamp, partly forest, and partly open plain. A nest of 

 Milvus ater had occupied us for a short time ; but on getting 

 close to the river again, in a place where the trees are very tall, 

 and not thickly grouped, my friend and cicerone drew our at- 

 tention to a good-sized nest, which was placed about one-third 

 of the way up a tallish poplar. The nest was resting upon a 

 large branch close to the boll of the tree, and appeared exceed- 

 ingly easy of access. Whilst my friend was climbing towards 

 it, the bird slipped ofi', and was shot immediately. It proved 

 to be a female Falco sacer. Of this I was not quite certain 

 at the tune, being then unacquainted with the distinctions be- 

 tween Falco lariarius and Falco sacer, though the size inclined 

 me to decide in favour of the latter. The nest was not very 

 much larger than those of the numerous Hooded Crows we had 



2 D 2 



