372 Mr. W. H. Simpson's Fortnight 



The circumstances attending the discovery of the nests of Aq. 

 imperialis and Faico sacer have been ah'eady narrated {' Ibis/ 

 vol. ii. p. 375). In addition to the Raptorial birds previously 

 mentioned as occurring here, a single specimen of a bird, be- 

 lieved to have been Bonelli's Eagle {Aquila bonellii), vv^as ob- 

 served upon a low cliff overlooking one of the small lakes. These 

 low cliffs which flank the lateral valleys, and occasionally the 

 stream of the Danube itself on the Bulgarian shore, are favourite 

 places for the larger birds of prey. It was supposed that the 

 Cinereous Vulture {Vultur monachus) might be found breeding 

 here, as the bird is not at all uncommon, especially during the 

 summer. No nest of this species was, however, discovered, though 

 we found one or two of the Griffon [Gyps fulvus) . As an instance 

 of the closeness of this bird's sitting, I may mention that, on my 

 being lowered by means of a rope to a nest in a cliff overhang- 

 ing the Danube, the old bird was actually touched by my foot 

 before she would move. The nest contained a young one lately 

 hatched, which was of course left. This sudden popping out of 

 the huge Griffon so upset my equilibrium that I should certainly 

 have fallen into the river if not upheld by the cord. The 

 Egyptian Neophron [Neophron percnopterus) also frequents these 

 cliffs : fresh eggs were to be had towards the end of April. 



Birds of prey are not the sole tenants of these rocks. The 

 Black Stork [Ciconia nigra) also breeds here; at least we disco- 

 vered one nest in a very peculiar position for a bird which has 

 the reputation of breeding in the densest thickets of impervious 

 morasses. The cliff in this case was about sixty feet high, the strata 

 being horizcmtal or nearly so. In the face of the upper ledge 

 there had been at some time, artificially excavated in the soft stone, 

 a chamber having a sort of antechamber, which communicated 

 by means of a couple of steps with a crack in the rock. This 

 crack was not difficult to reach from the top when the exact path 

 was once known. The chamber itself had much the appearance 

 of a hermit's cell ; but as the aperture in the face of the cliff was 

 the entire width of one side, the apartment was airy and cheer- 

 ful, commanding a fine view of the valley below. Altogether it 

 was a place where one could have had no objection to put up 

 for a few days in case of necessity. Here it was that a pair of 



