•^^^ Pictures of Bird Life 



decrease tliis distance invariably disturbed tlieni, and after 

 tlie second such disturbance they left the place altogether. 

 It was a fine sight to see their serried lines l)reak up in 

 confusion, with much flapping of thousands of scarlet wings, 

 and a great uproar of gaggling ^'oices. 



One of the ambitions of the trip had been to photogra])h 

 a Flamingo on its nest, but this was doomed to disappoint- 

 ment. Xo sign of any nest did we see in the whole of 

 the inunense district explored by us. The place where they 

 were met with was merely a feeding-place : and if they were 

 nesting at all. it was certainly at a great distance — possibly 

 on the islands where tlic (ruadakpuN ir divides its clumnels, 

 Isla Menor or Isla ^Nlayor. They are, however, always very 

 late nesters. Cliapman, who was the first to describe the 

 bird's real nesting habits from personal observation, gives the 

 end of Jime, and says that in some years they do not breed 

 in Spain at all. 



Vultures also were not met witli so frequently as I had 

 expected. The Griffon breeds exclusively in the sierras, 

 but none were seen while on the wing in search of food, 

 in which search they range o\er an immense area at a high 

 altitude, imtil a carcase is discovered, wlien tlie descent of 

 one bird becomes the sional to all the other Vultiu'es within 

 sight. The Egyptian \'ulture was often seen, l)ut not at 

 very close quarters. 



On the wing this bird looks very grand, and its power 

 of flight is superb. Once I stalked one on the ground, ushig 

 the pack-mule as a '* stalking-horse " : but the shutter of 



