i 34 SPORT AND TRAVEL 



though of course the sensation of being dangled at 

 the end of a long rope is not a pleasant one till one 

 gets accustomed to it. As no one else volunteered 

 to go up, I was just taking off my boots to go myself, 

 when Mustapha came from the top of the cliff where 

 he had been superintending the securing of the rope, 

 and asked me to allow him to get the eggs for me. 

 This I was graciously pleased to permit him to clo, 

 for I have got to that time of life when a man does 

 not care about climbing a high tree or a steep cliff, 

 if he can get anyone to do it for him. Mustapha 

 reached the nest without difficulty and brought down 

 the two eggs in his handkerchief, which he held in 

 his teeth as he came down the rope ladder. Whilst 

 he was robbing the nest I photographed him from 

 the rocks opposite. Of the two eggs, one was quite 

 white in ground-colour, with a few flecks of dark 

 brown sprinkled sparsely over it, whilst the ground- 

 colour of the other was pinkish brown with darker 

 shades of the same sort of colour, producing a beauti- 

 ful marbled appearance. The white egg must have 

 been laid first, as it was just very slightly incubated, 

 whilst the mottled egg was absolutely fresh and must 

 have been laid only a day or two before we found the 

 nest. After being disturbed on the previous day, the 

 bird seems to have deserted her nest, as she did not 

 return to it all that day, Dr. Carpuzza watched for 

 her until dark, nor was she there early on the 

 morning when we took the eggs, which we found to 



