The Blue Rock Thrush 287 
At this time Lord Lilford was at Gibraltar in his yacht the 
Glow-worm, and with the assistance of his son, Thomas Powys, 
and some of the crew I was lowered over the cliffs between the 
New Mole and Camp Bay in all directions. It was now that 
I learnt by painful experience the deceptive ways of the Blue 
Rock Thrush. One of their practical jokes was to simulate great 
interest in some cavern or fissure in a cliff and to disappear into it 
for a considerable time with the result that I was committed to a 
perilous descent only to find that I had been grossly imposed upon. 
At last on 5 April we decided that there must be a nest in a cave 
below Parson's Lodge Battery. This happened to be quite inacces- 
sible from above so I swam out from Camp Bay and scaled the 
cliff but found nothing. I realized however that between sharp 
rocks, barnacles and thorny scrub it was an overrated amusement 
to go birdsnesting unclothed. 
One day in April when subaltern of the Ragged Staff Guard 
I noticed a pair of Blue Rock Thrushes playing about Charles V.’s 
Wall high above the town. The next day as soon as I was relieved 
from off guard I went to Gardiner’s Battery whence I could com- 
mand a view of the suspected area and lay up. From what I there 
saw I moved on to the foot of the North Flat Bastion and concealed 
myself in the scrub about 30 yards from the escarp. After an 
hour's waiting I noticed the old cock bird, which had been 
endeavouring to attract my attention by various weird antics on 
the top of the wall, become somewhat solicitous in his demeanour. 
Remaining motionless | had the good luck to detect, out of the 
corner of my eye, the hen as she slipped out of a weep-hole in 
the bastion about 30 ft. above me. I kept quiet and soon she 
re-entered the hole! I now made my way to the top of the bastion 
and, leaning over the wall, touched the weep-hole with a stick—it 
was only a few feet from the top—when out flew the bird! I now 
felt certain of my prey. 
