Doroteo reaches the Nest 223 
lowest branch of the great tree. Here, after carefully securing 
his rope—for without it his return to earth, save in the form of 
a meal for the Vultures, would have been improbable—he leisurely 
climbed up the remainder of the tree and reached the nest. The 
enormous size of the latter can be realized by noting the figure 
of Doroteo in the accompanying photograph. In fact it was no 
easy matter for a man to get into it, since it overhung on every 
side some 3 ft. or 4 ft. However, by breaking away a portion 
immediately above him he at last effected an entrance, and shortly 
afterwards we had the satisfaction of seeing him hold up the 
well-won ege for our inspection. 
I was anxious to follow Doroteo up the tree with the aid of 
the rope and photograph the nest, but was dissuaded by my com- 
rade, who wisely remarked that the tree was very unsuitable for 
photographic work, and that in all probability we should find 
another nest where a hand-camera with a non-focusing lens, such 
as I then carried, could be used with better effect. 
We now sent up a bag containing a tin box, in which to pack 
the ege safely. It speaks for the height of the tree that 102 ft. 
of rope only just sufficed to lower our prize. Doroteo now effected 
his descent in the same splendid style in which he had previously 
ascended. 
Mounting our horses, we proceeded along the steep declivities 
through the apparently interminable maze of pine trees in quest 
of more nests. Nor were we disappointed, for within a mile of 
the first nest we came upon a second, placed on the very 
summit of a pine tree, the top of which had been apparently 
struck by lightning, or broken off during one of the furious gales 
which sweep the valleys of the Sierra Guadarrama in winter-time. 
Whatever the cause, the result had been to form almost an ideal 
spot for a big nest, the branches of the great pine spreading out 
and offering convenient support to it. 
