368 Mr. W. H. Simpson's Fortnight 



is not a tree or fence of any kind to break the uniformity of the 

 scene. From some points along the height of land the sea 

 bounds the view on the east : all else is the land of grass, with 

 here and there a patch of corn, according as the fancy of some 

 enterpi'ising individual may have sown it. Not grass, however, 

 in the sense of our English turf; nowhere in the East is such 

 a thing to be found; but yet a goodly supply of herbage such as 

 might feed thousands of sheep. A few low blackthorn bushes 

 occasionally dot the surface. Towards the end of April they are 

 just coming out into blossom, giving a pleasant air of spring as 

 one passes by. To believe that such bushes, sometimes only a 

 foot in height, will hold an Eagle's or Harrier's nest, requires a 

 considerable amount of faith ; yet this is undoubtedly sometimes 

 the case. Generally, however, the Eagle [Aquila navia), which 

 mostly haunts these downs, has its nest upon the ground. I 

 found, or was directed to, no less than four, two of which were on 

 the ground, under the shelter of bushes ; two were on the bare 

 plain. Out of the whole four I only got two eggs, and these very 

 poorly-marked specimens. From some cause to me inexplicable 

 the eggs were geneially broken, the fragments being sometimes 

 trailed several yards from the nest, which is itself a slight struc- 

 ture composed of a few sticks with a lining of wool carelessly 

 arranged. In one was a piece of coloured cloth. The old bird, 

 of course, sees any one approaching a long way off, and may, in 

 consequence, attempt to carry away the eggs. There are, how- 

 ever, several Grey Crows [Corvus comix) on the look-out for waifs 

 and strays, and these may be at the bottom of the mystery. 

 The Spotted Eagle is generally a tree-building bird, but here it 

 seems to confine itself to the open country, where probably it 

 feeds largely upon the lizards and small animals that are so 

 numerous. I made several attempts to procure a specimen, but 

 without success ; neither could I obtain one of the Harrier (sup- 

 posed to be Circus cineraceiis), which is perpetually hawking the 

 Grey Partridge on these downs. One of the favourite breeding- 

 places of this bird is along the banks of Trajan's wall so called, 

 but which is really a system of mounds and ditches more or less 

 perfect. 



The westward slope of the height of land in the neighbour- 



