On the Guadalquiver . 



their reeds, and we did not catch sight of one until some 

 time afterwards under more favourable circumstances. 

 There were many ducks on the river, and waders on its 

 banks, to be carefully looked at, while now and again we 

 passed a reed-hut or a stack, the top of which was occupied 

 by a stork* sitting upon her nest. Once, on turning a 

 sharp corner, as we were drifting down close to the river 

 bank, we came face to face with a great bustardf in all his 

 glory. We were so struck by the suddenness of the 

 meeting, and by the imposing size of the turkey -like bird 

 standing on the bank above us, that we had scarcely time 

 to realise what we saw before the bird had turned and 

 fled from our sight. I hope to say more of the great 

 bustard, for we both saw and shot them afterwards. We 

 saw many kites soaring in the distance, and once we were 

 treated to a very fine sight in bird-life. Some two hundred 

 or three hundred yards from the river there was evidently 

 a carcase, which we could not trace from the boat, but the 

 kites and vultures, those excellent scavengers, had found 

 it. We counted two hundred black kites | and four 

 Egyptian vultures § in the air, and there must have been 

 many more on the ground. They were evidently gathering 

 from far and near. Many appeared as mere specks floating 

 up aloft, but as one's eye passed down the " column " of 

 birds, it could be seen that each individual with wings 

 outstretched was sweeping round and round in gigantic 

 circles, ever coming nearer and nearer to the earth, while 

 its place above was taken by another speck intent upon 

 the feast. So they succeeded one another, and what was 

 but a dot in the sky grew gradually larger and larger 

 until one could see the real size of the bird, and then its 



* Ciconia alba. f Otis tarda. J Milvus migrans. 



§ Neophron 'percnopterus. 



