22 
Mr. J. A. Buckniil on the 
and black on tlie breast seems cut very sharply. We took 
many eggs from the 4th of April up to the 18th of May, 
finding them in all stages of incubation during that period ; 
the usual complement is five, but we obtained more than one 
clutch of six. We noticed at once a peculiarity observed by 
Muller, that all the eggs are at the lowest edge of the range 
of size, the average of fifteen specimens being only 1*57 x 
1*1 inch. Otherwise the eggs are typical, but we took 
four in a clutch of six which were pale blue, without any 
markings. I have not yet found this species, as one would 
perhaps expect, acting as host to the Great Spotted Cuckoo. 
it should perhaps be mentioned that Guillemard writes, on 
his first visit, of “ Carrion Crows/’ but the expression was 
no doubt not used, as has been erroneously thought, to 
refer to Corvas cor one Linn., the Black or “ Carrion ” Crow, 
so-called in England, as this bird is not found in Cyprus. 
Madarasz tentatively places the Cypriote bird between 
C. sharpii Oates and C. capellanus Sclater. 
604. Corvus corax Linn. 
The Raven is a common resident, and generally distri¬ 
buted throughout the island. During the summer months a 
great many congregate near the camp on Troodos, attracted 
no doubt by the slaughter house and refuse, and there 
I have frequently counted over fifty in the air together. 
They are always ready to play with or mob any Eagle, large 
Hawk, or even Vulture which may come their way, and 
their agility on the wing is surprising. They nest early, and 
Horsbrugh and I took a slightly incubated clutch of six eggs 
on the 13th of March, 1909, near Nicosia; they are typical 
in colour but distinctly small, the average being 1*79 x 
1*31 inch. The female, which I shot from the nest, was also 
rather small, but otherwise in no way remarkable; her crop 
was full of coleoptera. Lord Lilford remarks that his speci¬ 
mens from Cyprus varied considerably, inter se , in dimen¬ 
sions, were very stout-billed, and had all some umber-brown 
feathers in the wings, shewing some affinity to C. umbrinus 
Sundevall and C. tingitanus Irby (C. leptonyx Peale). 
