178 FALCONID.E. 



beautifully marked with red streaks and spots, similar to those 

 taken in 1873, and doubtless laid by the same bird. I was in- 

 formed that the latter nest was lined with leaves of the asphodel, 

 and that the spoilers literally walked into the nest. I saw the 

 situation myself; and it was certainly the easiest to reach that I 

 know of, as they usually build on the face of steep cliffs. 



A nest found in 1874 contained only one egg, which was 

 addled ; but curiously enough the bird was sitting hard on this 

 rotten egg, and I succeeded in shooting the female. This nest 

 was in a hole, and only about 50 feet from the base of the steep 

 cliff in which it was placed, and was lined with twigs and leaves 

 of butcher's broom (Ruscus hypophyllum). Not having enough 

 rope to lower to the bottom of the rock, we had much trouble in 

 getting the egg ; however, we sent for more rope and lowered it 

 down from above, tying a sack full of stones to the end to prevent 

 it lodging in the rock ; but after securing the object of our 

 labours from below, we discovered that the rope, of which there 

 was over 400 feet, had become fixed in the rock about halfway 

 up, and no power would move it. The idiotic Spaniard whom 

 we had left at the top, when he found that he could not pull it 

 up, flung it down without tying a stone to the end ; so it caught 

 in several places ; and by way of finishing he came down to 

 where we were sitting, and, after pulling violently at the lower 

 end, suddenly let go, when of course the rope flew up and lodged 

 in the rock out of reach ; so we had to leave it dangling about 

 the cliff as a memorial or, rather, as a Spaniard remarked, " un 

 serial de los locos Ingleses" 



The usual number of eggs of Bonelli's Eagle is two, and but 

 rarely one ; the colour is generally white, and I have only seen a 

 few marked with red and buff spots and streaks. 



At Gibraltar, Bonelli's Eagle may be often seen suspended, as 

 it were, in the air, head to wind, apparently immovable, like an 

 artificial kite, for sometimes nearly two minutes. At this time, 

 when watched through a glass, no movement of the wings can be 



