in the Eastern Atlas. 177 



gorge running north and south, having towering rocks on each 

 side. The formation seemed to be almost entirely composed of 

 nummulite. In this range a pair of Lammergeyer had their 

 eyrie in the western side of the gouge just above a cave that 

 pierces the strata. To this nest one of our Arab servants, 

 Mohamedj climbed and brought down a half-fledged young one, 

 which, after living some few days, came to an untimely end *. 



The range at Khifan M'sakta, our next camp, stretches south- 

 west and north-east, and, though hardly on so grand a scale as 

 Djebel Dekma, is somewhat similar in its peculiar isolation, the 

 same feature of vertical strata presenting itself. A pair of Lam- 

 mergeyer also occupied these rocks, their nest being in a hole 

 on the north-west side. At Kef Laks, in the precipices called 

 by the Arabs " Gala el Hamara," was another eyrie. None of 

 the stories of the Lammergeyer defending its young against one 

 so hardy as to assail its nest were ever realized during our stay 

 in their localities ; and though their eyries were repeatedly scaled 

 and their young taken, the old birds not only never oflFered an 

 attack, but in all cases either kept at a respectful distance, or never 

 showed themselves at all. Immature birds of this species seldom 

 occur in the breeding-haunts of the old ones : I only saw one 

 during my whole stay. This remark probably applies to all the 

 birds of prey ; and its truth is especially illustrated in the case of 

 the Egyptian Vulture {Neophron percnopterus) , immature birds of 

 which I hardly ever saw. It would appear that this bird, like 

 the Gyps fulvus, seldom, if ever, lays more than one egg : no 

 instance of more than one young ever occurred in the nests 

 visited. The food of the Lammergeyer consists principally of the 

 Land-tortoises [Testudo mauritanica), which abound throughout 

 the country. These it carries to some height in the air, and lets 

 fall on a stone to break the shell. It is an early breeder. The 

 eggs must be laid in January, or the beginning of February at 

 latest, as in the early part of April the young, in every case 

 that came under our observation, had been hatched at least a 

 month. I cannot concur in the supposition, suggested by the 

 reviewer of Mr. Bree's " Birds of Euroj)e," in the last Number of 

 'The Ibis,^ ''that the rich tawny hue of the under surface in 



* This bird is now in the Norwich Museum. 



