1917.] Nidification<of some Indian Falconidce. 227 



ledge, but, thoiigli so near, it was yet far awa}% for without 

 ropes it was quite impossible to get at. From where I lay 

 I could see through the shimmer of the afteruoon sun into 

 a depth below, which would have appalled even the surest- 

 footed Naga from attempting to descend to the nest, and 

 gave me no desire to risk my own neck. The whole clirf 

 was more or less covered with small bushes and ferns, which 

 prevented a clear view of the slopes, so that it was impossible 

 to locate the nest exactly. However, a talk with my Naga 

 friends convinced me that the nest was where I suspected, 

 and that it was worth while taking some risks to obtain, for 

 they assured me that the birds Itad bred on that ledge for 

 generations, and from a particular spot below the nesting- 

 ledge one could see a In'oad expanse of the rock covered with 

 their droppings. We accordingly worked down the hill and 

 to the side of the cliff, and there, sure enough, I found that 

 what the men had told me was quite true, though even then 

 I could not see my Avay to getting at the nest. It w^as only 

 about forty feet from where we were standing, but, though 

 not sheer, the surface of the cliff w^as so rotten and the 

 bushes so frail that an attempt to climb up seemed too 

 dangerous, for the spot on which the nest lay overhung a 

 precipice many hundreds of feet deep, and a slip would have 

 been certain death. A Naga, Namreng, offered to make the 

 attempt, but, after climbing a few yards, a stone gave way 

 beneath his feet and rumbled away into eternity below. 

 This was enough for me, and I insisted on his return. 



Next day, however, we made another attempt with ropes 

 formed from green canes. First of all, we lowered a strong 

 cane over the edge of the cliff to where Ave stood, and this 

 we connected with another cane, the loose end of which we 

 retained in our own hands. The Naga then tied several 

 loops of cane round his waist and under liis arms, passing 

 underneath them the other supporting cane, the ends of 

 which lay, one in the hands of the men above, the other 

 with us. By this means the men above managed to work 

 along the top, whilst we gradually paid out from below, and 

 foot by foot, yard by yard, the distance between the Naga 



