458 ORNITHOLOGICAL SKETCHES 
horizontally, it shoots in like an arrow. We could therefore 
only get a very hurried glance at this wonderful and highly 
interesting picture, and it would have been quite impossible 
to fire while the bird was going at such a rate. The hole, 
too, was very large and its mouth quite circular, so that it 
could at once vanish into its dwelling without having to 
settle on the rock even for an instant. Its long tail, however, 
protruded, and one could see by its movements that it was 
busily engaged in placing food before its young one. 
I now stepped out of my hiding-place and looked about for 
good standing ground among the stones, so that I might make 
a steady shot. I then shouted out, but it was so occupied 
with the feeding of its offspring that it paid no attention to 
my summons; and it was only after repeated shouts that the 
long tail vanished into the hole, and in its place there appeared 
the goat-like head with its bristly beard and gleaming eyes 
and the yellow breast of the Bearded Vulture—the strangest, 
rarest, and noblest bird of prey that inhabits the mountains 
of Europe. Without waiting a second I fired my first barrel, 
and it fell, plunging past me towards the valley. I gave it the 
second barrel ; and making another effort, it spread its wings, 
flew a few hundred yards further, and then, towering to a 
little height, flapped its wings together and fell dead, rolling 
down over the loose stones. 
Hardly had we dragged up the slain bird and got our 
ambush into good order again, when the circling of the other 
Bearded Vulture high overhead warned us to keep perfectly 
quet. After a lapse of ten minutes I suddenly heard the ery 
of a Raven, and cautiously looking out through the twigs of 
the screen, I saw one of those birds with its easy flight play- 
ing round the great Gypaétus. They both flew close past us, 
and immediately disappeared behind a projecting rock ; but 
in a few moments [ again heard the rush of wings, and before 
I had time to get my gun to my shoulder, the Bearded 
