214 The Black Vulture 
The term “Black” Vulture, although quite appropriate to the 
birds when in their haunts, is by no means borne out by those 
often seen in museums. The young birds are very dark, so dark 
indeed at times as to appear at a distance as dark as Ravens. As 
they reach maturity they gradually grow lighter until old adult 
birds are quite light cinereous brown, especially on their shoulders 
and scapulars. 
To visit the nest of the Black Vulture was for many years 
one of my most earnest desires. So far back as the spring of 
1875 I came across a disused one. 
This nest was destroyed in a great fire, as described in the 
last chapter, the following year. The Black Vultures thereupon 
moved to a small cork tree in the adjacent sierra. 
Afterwards from time to time I came across one of the birds, 
now sitting out in the plain or perched in a cork tree in company 
with Neophrons and, once only, on a crag in the remote sierras. 
But I could not locate the nest. Eventually it became evident 
that if I intended to take with my own hands the egg of this 
species I must seek for it in the districts of Spain where it was 
most commonly to be met with, As events proved, it was fortunate 
that I did so. 
It was in the spring of 1899, when serving on the Staff at home, 
that I managed to get two weeks leave of absence on ‘‘ very urgent 
private affairs” and the question arose how best to employ the 
precious hours at my disposal. After much consultation with 
Colonel Irby and Dr. Stark, and reference to Lord Lilford’s notes, 
I came to the conclusion that my best chance was to strike straight 
for Old Castile, where on the pine-clad slopes of the mountains the 
Black Vulture was known to nest. There was no time for paltering 
with coasting steamers and having secured a companion I set off 
across Channel zvza Paris and Irun, for Segovia. 
The extensive mountain range, known as the Sierra de Guadar- 
