388 Mr. W, H. Simpson on some of the Birds 



mcr they go higher up. One or two pairs were breeding towards 

 the bcginiiiiii;- of June in a deep eleft near tlie fort at the north 

 entrance of the Great Khssoura, but their position was inacces- 

 sible. 



The Game Birds of this district are few in species and de- 

 creasing in numbers. First of all comes the Greek Partridge 

 {Caccabis saxatUis), which still maintains its ground in Ara- 

 cynthus, though the natives are on the look-out for it all the 

 year round. With this species incubation commences about the 

 middle of April. It lays from ten to fourteen eggs, in colour 

 much resembling those of the common Grey Partridge {Pcrdix 

 cinercus) ; but in some a faint trace of freckles may be observed, 

 thus connecting tlieni with the profusely freckled eggs of the 

 common Redleg {Caccabis rubra) and Barbary Partridge {C. pe- 

 trosa). In all the mountains of Greece, C.saxatilis is more or less 

 numerous, but, owing to the nature of the ground, does not afford 

 good sport in its usual haunts. During the autumn, wlu-n the 

 coveys descend to the islands, Megan isi for examjde, and in very 

 hard weather, to the low grounds generally, a fair bag of them is 

 sometimes made. The Pheasant, which used to be so numerous 

 in the park-like woods that skirt the base of the mountains 

 around the magnilicent plain of Agrinion, nmst, I fear, be num- 

 bered with the things that have been. The Germans who came 

 with king Otho are accused of being the first to commence the 

 extermination of this bird ; but now that the Greeks have left off 

 shooting one another, they have taken to field sports instead. 

 Nothing gratifies the pot-hunting propensities of an il^^tolian 

 shej)herd more than stalking a hen ])heasant on her nest — 

 a sitting shot of course. Heaven be praised ! they cannot shoot 

 flying yet : when that accomplishment is learnt, adieu to the 

 woodcocks. But it is obvious that as population and civili- 

 zation increase in any district, all cons])icuous birds that do not 

 migrate to more secluded breeding-quarters must cease to exist. 

 Anything like abstaining from shooting during the breeding 

 season is almost too much to expect I'rom a j)cople who have 

 recently made so great a sacrifice as to forego their hereditary 

 privilege of shooting each other. The Bustard {Otis tarda) and 

 Little Bustard {Otis tetrax), whidi are not uncommon in East- 



