120 The Wilson Bulletin— No. 96 



could be traced to the northeast. Below us were several 

 marshy islands, on one of which I counted sixteen Common 

 Herons. When hurrying down the hill an interesting sight 

 faced us that was missed in the ascent : There stands in the 

 courtyard of the Mosque of Eyoub an immense plane tree, 

 measuring about eight feet in diameter, in whose topmost 

 branches were several Common Herons and their nests. It 

 was one of those times when the string was being jerked 

 forcibly, and there was no more than an instant for identify- 

 ing the Herons. That evening, at the hotel, some ladies of 

 our party were told by other tourists of their visit to a cer- 

 tain mosque where they saw Storks nesting in a large tree ; 

 moreover, their dragoman had said that they were Storks. 

 By that time I had seen the Common Heron often enough 

 to feel fairly confident of my identification; but because of 

 the haste in which it was made I resolved to return, though 

 I was obliged to go alone one forenoon while the others 

 shopped. 



The Mosque of Eyoub is one of the most sacred of Mos- 

 lem shrines ; and until quite recent years it has been closed 

 to the Christian dog. It is in this most holy place that each 

 new sultan must be girded with the sword of Osman, a cere- 

 mony similar in importance to the crowning of kings in 

 other lands. The mosque is said to have been built over the 

 long-lost grave of Eyoub Ansari, one of the faithful follow- 

 ers of Mohammed, who set out with forty men to capture 

 Constantinople for the prophet. We were admitted to the 

 court-yard and to the vestibule of the mosque, but only the 

 faithful Moslems are permitted to see the turbeh of the saint, 

 which is viewed through a small opening in the wall. Upon 

 my second visit it was not necessary to enter any part of the 

 mosque's enclosure. A short climb up the hill brought me to 

 the level of the tree tops, the birds, and their nests, which 

 were distant perhaps a hundred feet. There were fourteen 

 nests, in four of which birds were sitting. In a few other 

 places two birds together Vv'ere engaged in demonstrations 

 that in human estimation would be termed " fussing over 



