88 Mr. C. G. Danford on the 
three eggs, and were built on the cliff-edges, with some 
small bush as a foundation, whilst those of the latter were 
always placed on the rock itself, all eggs of both species being 
well advanced in incubation. Buteo ferox, common here and 
throughout the country, did not seem to have begun laying ; 
nor had any of the smaller Hawks. On the rocks were 
numbers of Pigeons (Columba livia) and a few Wall-creepers 
(Tichodroma muraria). Among the orchards were Tits (Parus 
major, P. ceruleus), a solitary Woodcock, and Woodpeckers 
(Picus syriacus), the females of this bird being much more 
numerous thanthe males. These orchards, containing almost 
the only trees of the district, would, later on, be capital 
collecting-places during the tide of immigration, which doubt- 
less sets strongly along the valley of this river. Already 
there were signs of its flow in the presence of a few Hoopoes 
and a flock or two of Geese ; but the most interesting of the 
new comers was an Ibis (Geronticus calvus). We had already 
been told at Aintab that a strange bird was to be found at 
Biledjik and nowhere else; so that one of our first inquiries 
was about it. “The Kel Ainak has not yet arrived,” said 
the governor; “but we expect it the day after tomorrow.” 
Tyue to the time (February 16) came a pair of these birds ; 
but it was not until the 18th that the first large imstalment 
appeared, and we were able to make out that they belonged 
to the genus Idis. They were at first very restless, flymg 
round the town in strings of from five to fifteen individuals ; 
but as evening came on they circled lower, and presently 
came the governor and his satellites bearing one which he 
had himself shot. Now, as the Kel Ainak is a semi-sacred 
bird, his taking the odium of its slaughter upon himself was 
a special act of courtesy, deserving of special recognition. At 
dawn next day we brought down another specimen from its 
roosting-place on a long ledge of the castle-rock, where they 
breed, and there only ; for they never go more than a mile or 
two further up the river, and that merely to search for food. 
Doubtless many colonies exist lower down; and it is probably 
this species which is alluded to im a narrative of the Eu- 
phrates Expedition * as “the black Ibis which builds its 
* Helfer (Travels of Dr. and Madame), vol. i. p. 236. 
