168 Letters, Extracts, Notices, ^r. 



the other two, separated as usual from the thirds and this 

 time behind two small stones on the iloor of the eave. We 

 were soon back, and this time Stenhonse went over, not 

 twenty yards from the first nest ; we soon had the eggs, 

 which proved the lightest in colouring of the thi'ec clutches. 

 Before going to the boat we blew them, and found all 

 more or less incubated, some perhaps five days, some quite 

 twice that time ; but none were infertile, as we had expected 

 the separated single eggs to be, and no one could doubt for 

 an instant that the three in each case formed one clutch, the 

 colouring being identical, though the separated specimen of 

 the first clutch was rather the smallest. 



The Falcons (very dark birds) seemed to pay little 

 attention to us, and uttered no sound that I heard ; they 

 did not come within easy gun-shot, for which I was secretly 

 rather glad, though I wanted a skin. We did not shoot at 

 them: they looked like gigantic Swifts, with their sooty 

 colour and long pointed wings. 



We were soon on our way to the cliffs where the Blue 

 Rock-Pigeons abound. All the best stances had been taken 

 up; but we found a place, and I know that I fired thirty-seven 

 shots for eight Pigeons, an Alpine Swift (spread of wing 

 20 inches), and a Kestrel [Falco tiniumcvlus), which I shot 

 by mistake, as it came fair from the sun : the Pigeons gave 

 extraordinarily difficult shots. Occasionally an Eleonora 

 passed along, looking no doubt for wounded birds, and a 

 couple of Eagles were also hunting (I could not make out 

 their species). Both Alpine and Common Swifts were 

 hawking high overhead, and one Red-legged Partridge passed 

 out of range, going very fast away from the Eagles : he was 

 nobbled by a fine shot of Halsey's a few seconds later, and 

 was a very large bird, weighing 34 oz. 



The gloaming was on us, and it was pitch-dark before we 

 got to the passage in the inner harbour. However, with the 

 lights of the fleet to help, 9 o'clock saw us on board, after 

 a delightful and sporting day. 



1 forgot to mention that on the island we found some 

 old nests, apparently of Gulls, and in one cave on the face 

 of the cliti' was a large nest of sticks : I shall examine this. 



