380 The Egyptian Vulture or Neophron 
ordinary line of approach to this pinnacle rock is.along this valley in 
full view of the entrance to the nest. Knowing as | now do of 
the Raven’s cunning habits of making use of a front and back 
entrance to its nesting place whenever possible, I realize how it 
came about that this crag obtained its name, for surely never was 
a place better adapted for a bird to enter or leave without attracting 
attention. 
A few years ago I had a curious meeting in this cave with a 
beautiful Marten Cat (A/ustela foina). I was squeezing myself down 
the fissure on my way to the nest when my daughter, who had 
climbed to the top of the crag and was watching my descent, called 
out to me there was an animal in the cavern close to me and 
looking round [I saw on the level of my face through a rift in the 
rock a Marten crouching low and showing a fine set of teeth. 
Quickly drawing my pistol I fired at it at a few inches range! The 
Marten although shot through the body managed to spring out of 
the cave and bounding across the top of the crag disappeared into 
a deep cleft where it was impossible to extract it. It was a 
disgraceful let-off but should anybody deride my non-success, | 
would suggest they try for themselves the amusement of putting 
a hand into a cavern held by a truculent Marten Cat, possibly 
with kittens not far off. 
I know of a big cavern some hundreds of feet up the face of 
a limestone cliff in the Serrania of Ronda where, in some years, 
several Griffons nest in close proximity one to another. To reach 
this cavern it is necessary to sidle along a very narrow and some- 
what dangerous ledge from one flank of the cliff. Several of the 
Griffon’s nests are either on the floor of the cavern or on convenient 
ledges around it and, once the cavern is reached, can be literally 
walked into. But there is a sort of natural balcony running along 
one side of the cavern which can only be got at by climbing a 
fig tree for about 12 or 15 ft. (the topmost branches can be 
