94 Mr. A. Cbapman^s Rough Notes 



In tlie cliffs of the Paerta de Palomas_, in the Sierra de 

 Alcahi de los Gazules, the Griffon Vultures had now (May 

 16) half -grown young, partly feathered and partly in white 

 down. Of sixteen nests reached, only two contained more 

 than one young bird. The Vultures, on returning to their 

 nests, utter a peculiar growl, often the first sound heard at 

 daybreak on awakening from one's roofless bedroom among 

 the boulders. The young Griffons were never seen on the 

 wing till the month of July, having spent about three months 

 in the nests ; they were then (July 10th) of a clear bright 

 cinnamon- colour, and measured between 8 and 9 feet in ex- 

 panse of wing. 



In the plains the Griffon Vultures hunt in strata at vary- 

 ing altitudes, the highest tiers visible being mere points in 

 the azure height. It seems obvious that only the lowest 

 stratum can be on active duty, the ujDper parties merely 

 standing by to profit by the labours of all the working detach- 

 ments which may be in sight below ; for at their enormous 

 elevation it is impossible that even a Vulture could detect so 

 small an object as, say, a dead goat on the earth. We esti- 

 mated the altitude of the lowest stratum at 800 to 1000 yards. 



In the roofs of some large caverns a colony of Alpine 

 Choughs were breeding ; their nests were quite inaccessible ; 

 but at a lower point were several of Cotyle rupestris ; their 

 eggs were flecked slightly with grey. In the attempt to 

 reach the Chough's nests, I came suddenly on a pair of 

 Eagle-Owls ; but being in a very awkward position on the 

 crag-face, I was unable to spare a hand to shoot them. No 

 better luck attended a search for the nest of the Blue Thrush ; 

 but a few days afterwards a clutch of its five beautiful greenish- 

 blue eggs was taken. The male has a pretty habit of 

 towering up in the air, singing merrily, then dropping back 

 among the crags like a stone. 



Round the lofty conical peak called the " Penon de Hibe,^' 

 which towers over the surrounding sierras, something like a 

 gigantic facsimile of Arthur's Seat over the Salisbury crags, 

 I had the pleasure of observing for some time a magnificent 

 Gypaetus barbatus, the only specimen of this fine bird that 

 came under my observation. 



