1922.] some Cretan Birds. 087 



I obtained a few good specimens fairl}' fresh ; on this 

 occasion I was apparently a little late for the second laying. 

 The one large white egg, measuring 2'8 in. hy 2 in., was 

 \iiid on the bare soil among the debris of boulders fallen 

 from the cliffs and, as a rule, within a few yards of 

 the sea. 



"While sitting, the old birds uttered a loud, hoarse croak, 

 which disclosed their whereabouts, but if incautiously 

 handled, they gave a severe bite. They also vomited a nasty 

 green o'l with which the rocks were much stained and which 

 had a peculiar, strong musky odour, as also had the birds 

 and their eo-o-s. 



"I saw several specimens of Piiffinus T/elkoiian, but failed 

 to find a nest on Filfla, but obtained eggs from the cliffs 

 near Sclendi, in Gozo, at the end of April where, at the 

 same time, there were any number of eggs of the Mediter- 

 ranean Herring-Gull, Larus argentatns, the nests being on 

 ledges along the precipitous cliffs. 



" On Filfia on 22 June, the Shearwaters' nests mostly 

 contained a freshly-laid egg, only a few being near 

 hatching." 



Thalassidroma pelagica. 



"Malta, 1875. On 11 July, while clambering over the 

 boulders at the foot of the Filfla cliffs, a faint cry came 

 from under the rocks, and quite a foot underground 1 found 

 a burrow in which sat a Petrel, disclosing an egg as it 

 crawled away squeaking ; the egg was white with a 

 ring of faint purple-brown freckles at one end; it measured 

 1-2 in. by '75 in." 



In the following summer I again visited Filfla, and found 

 nests with eggs of this Petrel during the last week in June ; 

 the old birds let me lift them off their egg, but squeaked 

 loudlv, and vomited a green oil similar to the filth exuded 

 by the Shearwaters. 



2 z 2 



