un the Birds of Turkey. 63 



from the Crimea through Odessa^ where there is a neglected 

 museum of natural history, aud landed at Kustendji on the 1st 

 of April. 



Here we found Dr. Cullen, who most kindly gave us all the 

 information in his power, and enabled us to make some inter- 

 esting and highly successful excursions in the neighbourhood, 

 where we found some of the rarest birds in Europe breeding in 

 abundance. Our time, however, was too limited to enable us 

 to explore the marshes and islands at the mouth of the Danube ; 

 so, after disposing of an exorbitant innkeeper by a little sum- 

 mary Turkish justice, we went on by Tchernavoda and Rust- 

 chuk to Varna, in which neighbourhood we expected, from Mr. 

 Farman's account, to do great things. The extent of wooded 

 and broken country near the railway was so great, and our time 

 so short, that we were not so successful as in the Dobrudscha, 

 where, owing to the open country and scarcity of trees, bird's- 

 nesting is an easy matter. 



The country about the Devna lakes was very picturesque, and 

 we enjoyed such beautiful weather that we left it with much 

 regret ; but as we were obliged to be in England early in May, 

 we could not remain more than a fortnight, and returned up 

 the Danube with all haste to Vienna. 



1. VuLTUR MONACHUS, L. Black Vulture. 



We found this bird common in Macedonia, where, during the 

 winter months, it frequents the plains. We often saw five or 

 six soaring about together in search of food ; but they seem to 

 go a long while without eating, especially during the breeding- 

 season. We only once found a nest in Macedonia ; and this was on 

 a low range of cliffs overlooking the plain near Verria. We went 

 there on February 27, and saw several Griffons about the rocks, 

 which did not appear to have laid as yet; but a Black Vulture 

 was sitting in a hole, and flew away on my approach. One of us 

 climbed up with some difficulty, and found a single round white 

 egg — different from any we obtained afterwards, and laid at least 

 two months earlier, as those we took in the Dobrudscha were 

 all fresh in the beginning of April. In Bulgaria they are still 

 more common ; and though they do not breed in colonies like 



