74 The Oologists' Record, December i, 1g2i. 



trees, and often so high up and among such slender branches that 

 they are quite inaccessible. 



In such situations the abandoned nest is often used by the 

 Hobby, FaJco suhhuteo, which does not lay its eggs until the month 

 of June. 



In common with other Crows, this " Hoodie " sticks to the 

 same locality year after year, and even after being robbed of one 

 set of eggs will only move to another site in the near vicinity and 

 build a fresh nest, while instances have occurred of a second set 

 being laid in the first nest. There is little of interest in the descrip- 

 tion of the nest, which is the usual large mass of sticks placed in 

 a tree at any height from lo feet to 70 feet above the ground, and 

 which contains the soft receptacle for the eggs; made of dead grasses, 

 wool, lumps of hair, rags, old paper, string, etc. ; plastered mud is 

 not included in the constituents of the nest. The nests are fairly 

 conspicuous, and the sitting bird slips quietly off the nest on the 

 approach of a suspicious character in the same manner as Corvtts 

 corone, and thus often reveals the presence of. an otherwise unsus- 

 pected nest. If robbed of her first two sets of eggs, the same bird 

 will nearly always produce a third set. The Great Spotted Cuckoo, 

 Clamaior glandarius, uses this species for foster-parent, but I 

 never came across any eggs, though one of these Cuckoos was 

 frequently about during April, May and June at the edge of the 

 Wady Rubin marshes, where there were several Crows' nests in the 

 tall eucalyptus trees. 



As so few specimens have passed through my hands, and I have 

 not examined many nests, I am hardly qualified to say very much 

 regarding the size of clutch and coloration of eggs. My eggs are 

 as follows : — 



2.6.18 ... I Fresh. Judean Hills, north of Jerusalem, 



2,400 feet.* 

 II. 4. 20 ... 6 Fresh. Wady Khanin, near Ludd.t 

 5.5.20 ... 2 Fresh. Bir Salem, near Ludd.J 

 10.5.20 ... 5 Fresh. Wady Khanin, near Ludd.f 



* Bird deserted after egg had been taken — which I had to do, as the 

 previous nest had evidently been robbed, and I was afraid to leave this egg. 



f The same bird. 



f Nest in almost inaccessible tree ; eggs taken, as boy said he would not 

 go up again. 



