456 The Bearded Vulture 
the numerous photographs which I had obtained with such peculiar 
difficulty turned out to be failures, owing to the films being defec- 
tive! Since the cartridges were perfectly fresh and had been 
properly kept in tin-boxes, this was as unexpected as it was vexa- 
tious. In the absence of anything better I give the best of a bad 
lot. Many of them were entirely obliterated by a black fungus-like 
growth. But if ill-luck attended me in these repeated attempts, 
I feel I ought to be peculiarly thankful for having come out unhurt 
from a series of minor accidents. 
Soon after regaining the point where our mules stood | was 
rejoined by my companions from above. The whole business had 
taken just three and a half hours, I then learnt from Hamond 
that the reason he gave me no more rope when I was clinging 
to the nest in my first descent was that my whistle signals were 
indistinguishable. Probably this was due to my being under a 
big projecting rock combined with the echoes caused by this and 
the adjacent caverns behind the great limestone buttress, for as soon 
as I swung out clear he heard my signal ‘‘ Haul up” distinctly. 
Thus ended my long-drawn-out campaign after the Bearded 
Vultures. In many respects it was not more risky than other 
similar expeditions and climbs after Eagles’ and Vultures’ nests. 
Since however it chanced to involve a series of misadventures and 
incidents, more or less exciting to the actors, but all eminently illus- 
trative of the ups and downs attending the use of ropes on unknown 
cliffs, I have described it at length and have also reproduced the 
sketch | made of the cliff on the spot. There is nothing very novel 
in what I depict, but the sketch gives a fairly accurate view of this 
fine cliff which is highly characteristic of the peculiar sites favoured 
by Bearded Vultures as nesting stations. 
A final word as to the. behaviour of the old birds. Shortly 
after leaving the nest when the pistol shots were fired, the female 
returned and entered it, and did not leave it again until I was 
