384 The Egyptian Vulture or Neophron 
Snake Eagle was soaring overhead and making a great outcry at 
my presence. Five days later I was again on my rounds and again 
climbed to the nest, only to find it empty. But alot more goats- 
hair lining had been added since my previous visit. The old Snake 
Eagle was again flying near the spot. Yet again, five days later, 
on 16 April, | was out with the Calpe hounds and we found a fox 
near the Duke of Kent's Farm and after some ringing around the 
briars there he started away for the Soto Gordo and was eventually 
killed near the Alcadezar Crags. During the run we passed close 
to the Snake Eagle’s tree and for a third time I saw the old bird 
close to it. Determined to solve the mystery, two days later, on 
18 April I once again rode out to the nest and approached it warily. 
When not 20 yards off I saw a big bird sitting in it which on hearing 
my approach raised its head—the hideous yellow head of the 
Egyptian Vulture! At last I had accounted for the seeming 
departure of the Snake Eagle from its invariable habits. 1 climbed 
up and found the nest contained one egg of the deeply marked 
variety. The Eagle’s nest was, to put it plainly, a beastly sight 
owing to the Vulture’s alterations and additions; I suppose like 
other new tenants of old dwellings, she would have described them 
as improvements. For the freshly placed goatshair of a week since 
was now smothered with filthy rags, bits of tarred rope, manure of 
various sorts and putrid remains of animals and fish. I took the 
egg and put in a trap; the old bird returned very soon and settled 
on an adjacent bough whence she walked into the nest. Some- 
thing however aroused her suspicions, for she suddenly took wing. 
Exactly a week later, 25 April, | was again on my rounds and being 
still unable to account for the presence of the Snake Eagle near 
the Neophron’s nest, I visited the cork-tree. 
To my great surprise the old Vulture was sitting in the nest and 
on climbing up I found a second egg, very pale rufous in colouring 
oD’ 
and smaller than the first. This egg was quite fresh and was, as 
far as | could judge, laid a week subsequent to the first one. 
