FIEB WEE ATE AB. 107 



is a salt lake of considerable size close to the sea, about ten or twelve 

 miles south of Kustendji. The cliffs just alluded to run along the 

 side of the lake for several miles. They are composed in about equal 

 proportions of clay (above) and soft limestone (below). The nest is 

 always placed close to or only just within the mouth of the hole 

 chosen for its reception. All the nests I found were made in holes 

 in the lower or rocky part of the cliffs, except two or three, which 

 were made in holes in the earthy part. One of these latter was most 

 beautifully and artfully concealed, being placed well inside a hole 

 which was overhung by a tuft of wild thyme, which completely hid 

 the nest from sight. Another nest was placed in a small domed cavity, 

 so as to leave just sufficient room to allow the bird to pass in and out. 

 The nest, which is generally placed near a former old nest, is a good 

 deal smaller than that of the Common Wheatear. It is entirely com- 

 posed of fine fibres intermingled with a few straws and hairs. The 

 eggs are laid at the end of May to beginning of June, and are from 

 four to six in number. Out of nine nests taken by me, three contained 

 one egg each, one three, one four, one five, and three six. The nest 

 with three eggs, that with five, and one with six were all more or less 

 incubated. The rest were fresh. I do not think the male ever sits; 

 at least, I never saw one fly from the nest in which the eggs were 

 being incubated. The female does not sing, and is very shy and retiring ; 

 but the male sings often in the vicinity of the nest, and is a bold and 

 familiar bird, and always shows himself. Before he commences his song 

 he generally mounts up some little distance into the air. His song 

 is very lively and pretty, and sometimes lasts a considerable time. 

 Like its .congeners, the Pied Wheatear is extremely restless in its 

 manner, flitting about from stone to stone, and never appearing to 

 rest for a moment." 



I have a series of eight eggs of this bird in my collection, three 

 of them from the late Herr Seidensacher, and five from one nest 

 sent over to England by Dr. Cullen, and taken near Kustendji — I 

 believe from the locality mentioned by Mr. Cullen above. They do 

 not vary greatly in size, being about seven tenths by four tenths of 

 an inch in length and breadth. The ground-colour very pale green, 

 prettily and rather thickly spotted with russet, more particularly at 

 the larger end, where in some specimens the spots form a zone. 



The E,ev. Canon Tristram records the capture of this species in 

 Palestine, ("Ibis," 1859, Editor's note.) He says, "A pair shot at 

 St. Helena's Well, not far east of Bethany. They had a nest in a 

 hole of the wall over the well, containing four blue eggs, thickly 

 spotted with rusty brown." The same author, in the same volume. 



