378 The Egyptian Vulture or Neophron 
Again I know of others in caves on overhanging cliffs which 
are practically impossible to reach and assuredly are not worth the 
trouble to attempt. One of the most artfully placed nests I know 
of is in a pinnacle rock on the side of a low sierra, not more than 
30 ft. or 4o ft. in height which is unclimbable save at one point. 
The crag is riven in two by a deep and narrow “joint” or 
fissure and the nest is placed on a ledge in the same, at a point 
about one-third of the height from the top, and the entrance to 
it is equally impossible to reach by escalade from below or by 
descent with a rope from above since the rock overhangs as can 
be seen in the picture on the preceding page. From time imme- 
morial a pair of Ravens had nested in this crag which is known to 
the country folk as La cueva del Cuervo, The Raven's Cave, but 
having been disturbed the Ravens deserted it and for the last 
fourteen years it has been usually occupied by a pair of Neophrons. 
In 1894 I found the Neophrons in possession and climbed to the 
top of the crag cn the far side, but was apparently no nearer getting at 
the nest than from the ground below. Unluckily for the Neophrons, 
I was able to drop some 12 ft. down the fissure, at the point 
where the speck of light is to be seen close to the summit and 
thus get on the same level and within about 6 ft. of the nest. 
From this point I could see the eggs but it was impossible to reach 
them since between me and the nest the fissure narrowed to only 
a few inches. I however extemporized a landing net with a cane 
and a small tin insect-box lashed at the end of it with which I 
extracted the eggs. In this nest were two wild boar’s tusks of 
some size. Some years later I again visited the same spot and 
found it tenanted. My object on this occasion was photography 
and I managed to push my Kodak camera at arm’s length into the 
narrow crevice. It was impossible to look into the finder, but I 
propped the camera on bits of rock and lay it as true as I could 
and gave a long-time exposure. As will be seen, I got rather more 
