THE IBIS. 



SEVENTH SERIES. 



No. XXIII. JULY 1900. 



XXIII. — A Fortnight's Egg-collecting in Asia Minor. 

 By F. C. Selous. 



Early on the moruiug of May 5tli, 1899, I lauded at 

 Smyrna, and at once proceeded to the village of Bournabat, 

 some six or seven miles distant, where I was soon discussing 

 a hearty breakfast, beneath the hospitable roof-tree of my 



old friend Mr. H. O. W . lu the afternoon I walked 



out to a deep gorge through the hills, about six miles 

 distant from Bournabat, where a pair of Egyptian Vultures 

 was said to breed annually. My guide was an old Greek 

 named Demetrius, who knew something about birds'-nesting, 

 as he had accompanied Dr. Kriiper, the curator of the 

 Natural History Museum at Athens, on several of his 

 ornithological trips. He had not, however, imbibed much 

 scientific knowledge, as he seemed to imagine that the object 

 of egg-collecting was merely to get eggs of as many different 

 sizes as possible. 



We were unsuccessful in discovering the nesting-site of 

 the Egyptian Vultures, nor did we see any of the birds them- 

 selves ; but a pair of Lammergeiers were soaring over the 

 precipitous face of the hill above the gorge, where I have no 

 doubt they had a nest with young ones, for these birds are 

 very early breeders in Asia INIinor. On the way home we 

 found two nests of the Woodch at -Shrike {Lanius pomeranus) , 

 one containing two, and the other seven eggs. We also 



SER. VII. VOL. VI. 2 F 



