in the Eastern Atlas. 
177 
gorge running north and south, having towering rocks on each 
side. The formation seemed to be almost entirely composed of 
nummulite. In this range a pair of Lammergeyer had their 
eyrie in the western side of the gorge just above a cave that 
pierces the strata. To this nest one of our Arab servants, 
Mohamed, climbed and brought down a half-fledged young one, 
which, after living some few days, came to an untimely end 
The range at Khifan M'sakta, our next camp, stretches south¬ 
west and north-east, and, though hardly on so grand a scale as 
Djebel Dekina, is somewhat similar in its peculiar isolation, the 
same feature of vertical strata presenting itself. A pair of Lam¬ 
mergeyer also occupied these rocks, their nest being in a hole 
on the north-west side. At Kef Laks, in the precipices called 
by the Arabs “ Gala el Hamara/' was another eyrie. None of 
the stories of the Lammergeyer defending its young against one 
so hardy as to assail its nest were ever realized during our stay 
in their localities; and though their eyries were repeatedly scaled 
and their young taken, the old birds not only never offered an 
attack, but in all cases either kept at a respectful distance, or never 
showed themselves at all. Immature birds of this species seldom 
occur in the breeding-haunts of the old ones : I only saw one 
(luring my whole stay. This remark probably applies to all the 
birds of prey; and its truth is especially illustrated in the case of 
the Egyptian Vulture {Neophron pei'cnopterus) > immature birds of 
which I hardly ever saw. It would appear that this bird, like 
the Gyps fulvus , seldom, if ever, lays more than one egg : no 
instance of more than one young ever occurred in the nests 
visited. The food of the Lammergeyer consists principally of the 
Land-tortoises ( Testudo mauritanica ), which abound throughout 
the country. These it carries to some height in the air, and lets 
fall on a stone to break the shell. It is an early breeder. The 
eggs must be laid in January, or the beginning of February at 
latest, as in the early part of April the young, in every case 
that came under our observation, had been hatched at least a 
month. I cannot concur in the supposition, suggested by the 
reviewer of Mr. Breeds iC Birds of Europe/' in the last Number of 
‘The Ibis/ “that the rich tawny hue of the under surface in 
* This bird is now in the Norwich Museum. 
