of Italy and Spain. 399 



{Cypselus melha), and a few pairs of Rock- Martins [Cotyle ru- 

 pestris), whilst everywhere the Blue Thrush attracted attention 

 by its plaintive note. A pair of Egyptian Vultures were evidently 

 contemplating a nest above Catalan Bay, though somewhat de- 

 terred by the impudent bullying of a pair of Ravens. 



Though naturally anxious to reach Malaga, so as to visit my last 

 year's eyry of Aquila bonellii in the Gaitanes mountains {supra 

 p.l84),I was unable to get there till the 24th March, when I found 

 a letter saying that my man had discovered this year's nest, and 

 that the female was sitting very hard, scarcely leaving the nest 

 at all. Starting early before daybreak the very next morning, 

 I found myself before midday amongst my old friends in the 

 mountains, and, with Juan, Gabriel, and another brother of the 

 same distinguished family, set off at once for the Eagle's nest, 

 which was situated close to that from which I took the young 

 last year. As I wanted the parent bird, Gabriel (the crack shot 

 of that family of marksmen) drew his charge, and after substi- 

 tuting some of my powder for his own, and carefully loading 

 with a single ball, rejoined Juan, who had gone round with the 

 ropes to the summit of the cliff. With the remaining brother, 

 whose gun was loaded with shot, I clambered to my old post of 

 last year, and there waited for those on the top. At last they 

 came ; we stood ready : but it took a good deal of shouting and 

 several clods thrown down before the female would stir; then 

 she darted out like an arrow. Both fired, but she still kept on j 

 then suddenly with a sideward motion of her tail, exactly like 

 a rudder when the lower gudgeon has given way, she fell like a 

 stone into the olive-covered slopes below. When picked up, it 

 was found that Gabriel's ball had passed completely through her 

 back, nearly dividing the vertebra, which had afterwards given 

 way. Juan went down and took the eggs, which are of a bluish 

 white, the one fairly marked with reddish brown, the other 

 almost unspotted : their shape is more oblong than that of any 

 other European Eagle's egg in my collection ; and indeed 1 know 

 none with which I could possibly confuse them. I have seen 

 dealers' eggs ascribed to A. ncevioides which I have now no 

 doubt are those of A. bonellii, as it is one of the commonest 

 rock-breeding Eagles on both sides of the Mediterranean. It 



