378 Mr. W. H. Simpson on some of the Birds 



already examined, but was deep and comfortably lined, appear- 

 ing, however, from the outside as like a large Crow's nest as one 

 bundle of sticks is like another. The eggs, four in number, 

 were slightly incubated. In size, they seem to be intermediate 

 between those of the Peregrine and Gyr-falcon, being, however, 

 longer in proportion to their breadth. Two of them are light in 

 colour, the other two much darker. One of the latter is accu- 

 rately represented in the accompanying plate (Plate XII. fig. 1). 

 It measures 2'2 in. by 1'6 in. 



The male bird was well observed shortly afterwards. Sitting, 

 utterly motionless, on the top of a dead tree, with his head 

 turned over his shoulder, he seemed so mournfully conscious of 

 the catastrophe which had befallen his family, that I felt utterly 

 ashamed of having added murder to robbery in my desire to 

 possess myself of an unknown bird. If the gun had still been 

 in my hand I could have shot him easily, as he then seemed in- 

 different to his fate, but it so happened that he flew away before 

 that weapon actually arrived, and thus escaped being involved in 

 the ruin of his household. 



This was the only pair of Falco sacer ever seen by me or by any 

 of my friends in this part of the country. I am therefore in- 

 duced to believe that the species is rare even here, though the 

 bare and treeless chalk downs of the Dobrudska afford innu- 

 merable Bustards, both great and small, if that be the food 

 they covet. 



The second figure of the accompanying Plate, which has been 

 prepared by Mr. W. C. Hewitson, represents the larger of the 

 two eggs of Bonelli's Eagle [Aquila bonellii), concerning the 

 taking of which I have already given full details in the last 

 number of ' The Ibis ' (see antea, p. 291 et seq.). 



XLVIII. — Further Observations on some of the Birds of Western 

 Greece. By W. H. Simpson, M.A., F.Z.S., &c. 



Amongst the lesser birds of prey which frequent the neighbour- 

 hood of Mesolonghi and the lower parts of Western Greece gene- 

 rally, Circus aruginosus and Circus cyaneus are very conspicuous, 

 especially in winter. C. eeruyinosus breeds in the great reed-fen. 



