22 The Oologists' Record, March i, 1922. 



A day or two's exposure in the sun causes the body to become soft, 

 and after receiving attention from a flock of hungry vultures very 

 Httle remains, except well-picked bones, hoofs and other hard parts. 

 I remember on one occasion, in the interior of the 'sland, being much 

 amused at the antics and pluck of a magpie, which persisted in 

 hopping on to the broad back of a vulture and attempting to snatch 

 pieces of flesh the creature was bolting with unseemly haste. No 

 civilised person would readily destroy a vulture, except occasionally 

 for scfentific purposes, but natives in many countries find their long 

 flight-feathers useful for a variety of purposes. Cypriote villagers 

 utilise these feathers, dipped in water, for brushing off bees from their 

 faces and hands, when collecting honey from the hives, and also 

 play their guitars with the quill-shaft as a plectrum. West African 

 natives, I believe, carry gold-dust within the interior of the quill, 

 and others make use of vulture feathers in various and curious 

 ways. 



After leaving South Africa I did not meet with any vultures, 

 although I travelled widely, until I visited Cyprus, where I was 

 greatly interested to find the European species, but I did not dis- 

 cover any striking differences in their life-history between the birds 

 of the two continents. The Common or Griffon Vulture exists in 

 considerable numbers in the island, and the Black Vulture, although 

 far less abundant, is not a rare species there. I often wondered 

 how they secured sufficient food, as much of the carrion is consumed 

 by the native dogs. On a certain day, about the middle of March, 

 a party of friends took me with them to visit an ancient castle 

 perched on one of the highest peaks of the northern range of 

 mountains, which is named Buffavento (the wind defter), and informed 

 me that there might be a chance of finding a Griffon's nest. After 

 a few miles' ride on mules we came to the picturesque monastery 

 of Chrisostomos, where we were most hospitably entertained by the 

 newly arrived Abbot, who, however, was no naturalist and could 

 give us no information about any birds, beyond the fact, which we 

 already knew, that vultures frequented the height. Fortunately, 

 we procured a guide, reputed to be one of the finest climbers in the 

 district, and leaving our animals at the monastery, we shortly after- 

 wards reached the highest ridge of the mountains. From this alti- 

 tude, about 2,600 feet, a magnificent panorama spread itself before 

 us. Far away to the north; across a glassy sea, we could just discern 

 the Anatolian coast, with the snow-crowned summits of the Taurus 



