Ornithology of Cyprus. 409 
probably nest annually in the island, more—often a fair 
sprinkling—remain throughout the winter. But in Cyprus, 
as in other places, the number of visitors is extremely vari¬ 
able : in some years very fair sport can be obtained during 
the autumn, whilst in others the bird is noticeably scarce. 
Lord Lilford found “ very great numbers ” in the middle 
of April, 1875, in the Famagusta neighbourhood, and he was 
told that the vernal migration was a normal one ; on the 
other hand, Guillemard states that he did not see more than 
a dozen during his two visits in 1887 and 1888—a period 
which included two spring seasons. During the early 
influx, the growing and standing crops, and the fact that it is 
then the close season for shooting, no doubt hide its numbers; 
but even in the autumn there has been of late years, as 
I am informed, no great inrush such as is regularly met 
with on many parts of the Mediterranean littoral. Twenty 
couple would be an excellent bag in Cyprus; and I am 
inclined to think that, at any rate as a rule, the island 
receives only outliers of one of the vast streams which 
annually move north and south. 
The spring migration commences at the end of March, 
but the migrants have passed by the end of April: the 
return passage takes place at the end of August and during 
September and October. 
With regard to the breeding of this species in the island, 
Muller mentions two clutches of eggs, one of thirteen taken 
on April the 10th, and the other of ten on May the 15th. 
I have notes of its occurrence in every month of the year, 
and in July 1908, Mr. G. F. Wilson found very young birds 
near Nicosia : its nesting is also well known to other English 
sportsmen. As to its being a winter visitor my own notes 
are voluminous and conclusive, and I have eaten the bird 
in November, December, and January: nine were shot by a 
gentleman at Famagusta on January the 10th, 1909. 
The best bag I have heard of since I have been in the 
island is ten and a half couple by Messrs. T. Greenwood 
and Baxendale at Papho on October the 11th, 1908. 
In the autumn the Quail feeds very greedily on sesame 
