FROM SPAIN. 457 



where, by crouching close up against the rock, we should be 

 immediately under the nest and about sixty yards from it. 



I now got the Spaniards, whom we had brought for the 

 purpose, to make a screen of rosemary bushes, which, when 

 propped up against the rock, afforded good cover. While we 

 were still at work, a proud " Stein " Eagle wheeled about 

 above us, a Griffon Vulture flew slowly over the mountains, 

 and Lesser Kestrels and numbers of Sand-Martins fluttered 

 round, uttering cries of affright and exhibiting great anxiety 

 about their nests, which were in the crannies of the rock near 

 the hole occupied by the Bearded Vulture. 



1 had sat down under the screen, and the Spanish hunter 

 was just throwing a few more bits of bush over me, when the 

 bird appeared. I could not see it from my hiding-place, but 

 the hunter whispered to me that it was flying up along the 

 slope of the hill close below us. I only heard its cry, a deep 

 grunting sound, very much reminding me of the call of Aquila 

 imperialis or Aquila adalberti. The Spaniard now hurried 

 down the hill, and only my companion and I remained quietly 

 in our ambush, crouching close to the rock and looking 

 steadily towards the nest. I soon observed the young bird 

 raise itself on the edge of its dwelling and petulantly shake 

 its wings. It was already a fine big fellow, with its body 

 feathered, but its head still covered with down. Ten minutes 

 had hardly passed when we saw a great shadow glide over the 

 ground. The Bearded Vulture was there, but covered as we 

 were by the twigs of our screen we could only get an instan- 

 taneous glimpse of the bird that we had been looking for so 

 long. It swept twice past our ambush and then flew to the 

 nest. 



The way in which the Bearded Vulture returns to its 

 nest is quite different from that of the vultures and much 

 more like that of the eagles ; for, with stiffly extended 

 wings, outstretched feet, head carried vertically but its tail 



