146 Mr. A. Hume on Indian Ornithology. 



waist, with infinite trouble and no little danger, a way was 

 found after all to the nest. Once there, it was a firm platform 

 of sticks, at least 5 feet by 3^, In the middle of this a circle of 

 about 20 inches in diameter was smoothed over with fine green 

 twigs of the peeloo {Salvadora persica) ; and on this again a 

 circle of about a foot in diameter was smoothly spread with green 

 leathery leaves of the same tree, on which reposed the coveted 

 treasures, two fresh eggs. 



One of these eggs was bluish-white, blotched and speckled 

 very feebly, but thickly, towards the larger end, with pale red- 

 dish-brown. It measured 3 inches in length by 2*187 in breadth. 

 The other was almost pure bluish-white, with scarcely any 

 traces of markings anywhere, and measured 2*812 in. in length, 

 by 2*125 in breadth. I had always felt morally certain that 

 the egg figured by Dr. Bree never belonged to this species, but 

 was probably only a well-coloured Neophron's; but now the 

 thing was certain; no bird that laid the eggs I had in my 

 hand could ever have laid an egg similar to that given in his 

 ' Birds of Europe.' 



A few days later, in similar cliffs, a few miles higher up, I 

 found another nest. This time, however, the platform was much 

 larger, and was only about six feet below the top of the cliff. 

 One could look into it without the slightest difficulty ; and a wolf 

 or jackal could assuredly have made his way there easily, as even 

 I got down to it without help and without a rope. The platform 

 of sticks was fully 5 feet in diameter ; there was the same smooth 

 patch of twigs, and smaller smooth circle of green leaves, this 

 time of the peepul {Ficus religiosa) ; and, as in the former 

 case, on the leaves, about five inches apart, lay two fresh eggs. 

 These had a bluish-white ground, blotched all over, but thinly 

 and very feebly, with pale dingy reddish-brown, and they mea- 

 sured, the one 3*312 in., and the other 2*562, by 2 inches. 

 The eggs were, therefore, considerably less than those above 

 described ; while the female, which I shot as she left the nest, 

 was a much younger and smaller one than the magnificent bird 

 first killed. 



