Ornithology of Cyprus. 409 



probably nest annually in the island, more — often a fair 

 sprinkling — remain throughout the winter. But in Cyprus, 

 as in other places, the number of visitors is extremely vari- 

 able : in some years very fair sport can be ohtained during 

 the autumn, whilst in others the bird is noticeably scarce. 



Lord Lilford found " very great numbers " in the middle 

 of April, 1875, in the Famagusta neighbourhood, and he was 

 told that the vernal migration was a normal one ; on the 

 other hand, Guillemard states that he did not see more than 

 a dozen during his two visits in 1887 and 1888 — a period 

 which included two spring seasons. During the early 

 influx, the growing and standing crops, and the fact that it is 

 then the close season for shooting, no doubt hide its numbers; 

 but even in the autumn there has been of late years, as 

 I am informed, no great inrush such as is regularly met 

 with on many parts of the Mediterranean littoral. Twenty 

 couple would be an excellent bag in Cyprus ; and I am 

 inclined to think that, at any rate as a rule, the island 

 receives only outliers of one of the vast streams which 

 annually move north and south. 



The spring migration commences at the end of March, 

 but the migrants have passed by the end of April : the 

 return passage takes place at the end of August and during 

 September and October. 



With regard to the breeding of this species in the island, 

 Muller mentions two clutches of eggs, one of thirteen taken 

 on April the 10th, and the other of ten on May the 15th. 

 I have notes of its occurrence in every month of the year, 

 and in July 1908, Mr. G. F. Wilson found very young birds 

 near Nicosia : its nesting is also well known to other English 

 sportsmen. As to its being a winter visitor my own notes 

 are voluminous and conclusive, and I have eaten the bird 

 in November, December, and January : nine were shot by a 

 gentleman at Famagusta on January the 10th, 1909. 



The best bag I have heard of since I have been in the 

 island is ten and a half couple by Messrs. T. Greenwood 

 and Baxendale at Papho on October the 11th, 1908. 



In the autumn the Quail feeds very greedily on sesame 



