Rev. H. B. Tristram on the Ornithology of Palestine. 253 



Sidon and Jaffa ; but is more generally found in the wooded hill- 

 regions about Carmel, Tabor, and the Lake of Galilee^ from 

 which places we procured the eggs in April, as well as two nests 

 of one egg each in the neighbourhood of Gerasch, east of the 

 mountains of Gilead. It does not appear to lay till the end of 

 March, and then generally a single egg. These are either white, 

 or with the faintest russet spots. One nest, which contained two 

 eggs both fairly coloured, baffled all our attempts at its capture. 

 It was comfortably placed under an overhanging piece of rock 

 near the top of the cliffs of Wady Hamam, in such a position 

 that no rope could be thrown over to let down an adventurous 

 climber; and yet from another point, which projected nearly 

 parallel to it, we could look into the nest with longing eyes. The 

 old birds seemed perfectly aware of the impregnability of their 

 fortress. 



Pandion hali^etus (L.). We never paid a visit, either in 

 winter or spring, to the neighbourhood of Carmel and the Kishon 

 without seeing the Osprey. There are some lagoons near the 

 mouth of the Kishon admirably adapted for this bird; and 

 there it could at any time be seen perched on some naked 

 stump projecting from the water, or frequently on the coast on 

 the extremity of the skeleton-rib of some stranded wreck. The 

 marshes of the Zerka (Crocodile River) are also stated to be a 

 favourite resort. We saw the Osprey as late as April, but did not 

 discover its nest. In spite of the amazing abundance of fish in 

 the Lake of Galilee, we never noticed this bird there, probably 

 because of the absence of suitable cover. It has been shot at 

 Beyrout. 



CiRCAETUS GALLicus (Gm.). Bcyoud all doubt the most 

 abundant of all the Eagle-tribe in Palestine, from the early 

 spring. In winter it seems to be more scarce, and is probably 

 partially migratory. I observed it in December among the gar- 

 dens and orange-groves of Sidon ; but did not satisfactorily iden- 

 tify it again till the beginning of March, from which time it 

 overspread the whole country. Being strictly a reptile-feeder, it 

 probably withdraws to the Arabian districts for the two or three 

 months during which the lizards and snakes hybernate. In the 



