308 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



herself round, in the nest, again, and now she begins to pluck 

 grass, and then, again turning, lays it, apparently, in the nest, 

 on that side. It is difficult to think there is any real need for 

 this ; the ledge is grassy, and the eggs, when I saw them (five 

 in number) seemed to lie in a quite secure cup. We see here, I 

 believe, a mingling of the incubatory with the nidificatory 

 instinct, and the latter expresses itself not only in the placing 

 of materials, but in such actions as would not, I believe, form a 

 part of it, had it been architectural in its origin. 



The male now flies into the home-gorge again, but, this time, 

 either without a cry, or with a very faint one. The female, at 

 any rate, pays no attention if he has uttered it, and he certainly 

 flies about from point to point in silence. It is some little time 

 before the female leaves the nest, and when she does I miss 

 seeing her go off it. Before very long, she returns and broods 

 the eggs, again, but leaves them again shortly afterwards and 

 flies down upon the mountain side. Here I for some time, 

 watch her, but she is only preening herself, and, moreover, 

 could not have taken anything from the male without my seeing 

 her do so. Whether she did upon the occasion of his last visit 

 I cannot be certain, but from the facts and appearances which I 

 have recorded, I think it more than likely. 



It is now midday, and the female bird continues to cover her 

 eggs for another hour, when she again flies from the ledge, but 

 a rising wind is keeping me, at this time, busy with the tent, 

 which, as before intimated, is on the brink of something 

 approaching a precipice, and my having to brace it up from 

 outside may have accounted for this exit. If so, my apologies 

 are due to all collectors for thus disturbing the bird. 



As I now leave the tent, for a short walk, one of the Merlins 

 flies over the gorge, but I think this is the male, and when I 

 return at 1.45 p.m., the female is on the nest again. Shortly 

 afterwards, she flies off it, with the usual shrilly note, to the 

 male, who has again flown in. They fly together, or, rather, 

 she pursuing him, over the hill-side, and come down upon it, at 

 a short distance from one another. Then the female makes a 

 little dart at the male, who rises just as she comes down, and 

 flies to as far away again, and this is repeated once, at least, if 

 not more. It is the same scene as took place between them 



