The Sheld-Ducks. 97 



some that were laid in captivity in the 

 Zoological Gardens of London, but only 

 three taken from the nests of wild 

 birds. One of these was taken by the 

 late Mr. Salvin in Algeria, and he thus 

 described the manner in which the nest 

 was discovered : " Though this bird is 

 numerous in all the salt lakes of the 

 elevated plains, its egg is one of the most 

 difficult to obtain. One nest only re- 

 warded our labours. The rarity of the 

 eggs is hardly so surprising, when the 

 situation chosen by this bird for its nest 

 is considered. It selects a hole or crevice 

 of a cliff for its breeding place, and 

 associates with the Raven, the Black 

 Kite, and Egyptian Vulture during the 

 period of the reproduction of its young. 

 Almost immediately on encamping at 

 Ain Djendeli we used daily to see a pair 

 of Ruddy Shieldrakes pass over our 

 tents, their direction always being back- 

 wards and forwards between the cliffs to 

 the south of us and the small marsh 

 between us and the lake. After careful 

 investigation, the nest was discovered to 

 be in a hole in the face of a rock, which 

 required all the skill of Mohamed and 

 all our appliances of ropes, etc., to reach. 

 The result was four hard-set eggs, which 



VOL. it. 7 



