258 LOED LILFORD 



of visitors into roars of laughter, and must be 

 seen to be believed in. At all events, I should be 

 extremely puzzled to do them adequate justice 

 with pen and ink. During this performance of 

 its companion, the Griffon Vulture frequently 

 assumes very absurd attitudes of defiance 

 possibly of admiration but does not take any 

 very active part in the " show." 



* We have two fine Bearded Vultures, or Lam- 

 mergeyers, one of which (with a companion that 

 has died very lately) enjoyed complete liberty, 

 since its arrival here as a nestling, till a few days 

 ago, when I was obliged to have it caught up 

 and confined on account of its insisting on 

 making the roof of the house its roosting-place. 

 I extremely regret this necessity, as the sight 

 of these large birds soaring about the place, 

 generally pursued by a cloud of rooks, was 

 certainly unique in England, and afforded to me, 

 who am well acquainted with the Lammergeyer 

 in its native haunts, a constant source of interest 

 and pleasant memories of localities that are still, 

 to a great extent, unspoiled by man. 



' These birds of mine were very tame and per- 

 fectly harmless ; indeed, with the exception of a 



