137 
1921 .] Breeding Birds of Crete . 
the nest only about three times a day. I never saw the hen 
bird at the nest in either case. 
Falco eleonorae Gene. 
One obtained. There are large colonies of these Falcons 
on Dia and Paximadi Islands north of Candia, and I sin¬ 
cerely trust no ravening oologist will abuse this information. 
Occasional birds were also seen in olive gardens near the 
coast, and flying high over Crete at dusk. 
Aquila chrysaetos , a Buteo , Gyps fulvus , and Gypaetos 
barbatus were frequently seen but not obtained. Ardea 
cinerea was often seen on the coast near Candia, and had 
apparently bred on a small island, where an empty nest and 
full-grown young were seen. 
Botaurus stellaris was twice seen near Candia in June, 
and may have been breeding. 
Phalarocorax carbo breeds in colonies on the small rocky 
islands near Candia, where many empty nests were found in 
late June, and about 30 young seen. 
Adults and full-grown young of Anas platyrhynchos were 
seen on the Halmyros stream near Candia on 2 July. 
No examples of the above species were obtained. 
Columba livia palaestinae Zedl. 
The Cretan Pock-Pigeon is referable to this race, being 
much paler than Columba l. livia on the upper parts and 
slightly smaller. Two birds obtained have white lower backs, 
and compare well with a large series from Palestine, Syria, 
and, curiously enough, Solium in western Egypt. It would 
therefore appear that C. 1. palcestince occurs not only in 
Palestine, Sinai, and Arabia, but in the eastern Mediter¬ 
ranean, with the exception of the Egyptian Delta, where the 
smaller C. 1. schimperi occurs. 
The wings of my two Cretan birds measure 216 and 220 
mm., both males. 
Pock-Pigeons were breeding commonly on all the islands 
near Candia, on the coast, and in the hill caves of Mount 
Ida. Let he who fancies himself at shooting try his hand 
