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ORNITHOLOGICAL SKETCHES 



and feathers. During the last fortnight that I had it in 

 captivity it grew remarkably fast, was in capital health, 

 devoured great quantities of flesh, and was already beginning 

 to lay aside all fear of man. It even got quite used to the 

 dogs, of which it at first had the greatest dread. 



Both the old Bearded Vultures were magnificent birds, in 

 the beautiful orange dress with grey-brown backs, grey- white 

 foreheads, black stripes over the eyes, and black bristly 

 beards. Irides pale copper-yellow ; cornea reddish brown- 

 yellow; beaks horn-blue with a reddish tinge ; feet lead-colour. 



Dimensions. 



In order that our great and sudden success may not delude 

 the reader into thinking that the Bearded Vulture is a 

 common bird in Spain, I may simply say that there, as well 

 as in all high mountains, whether situated in Central or 

 Southern Europe, Northern Africa, or Central Asia, it is 

 very much the reverse. I have rambled through the ranges 

 of the north-east of Spain, Central Spain, and those near the 

 east -coast, have clambered about the Sierra Nevada for a 

 whole day, and have sat for a long time on the summit of a 

 high hill opposite Mulhacen, the loftiest mountain of that 

 chain (which bears the name of Quebranta-huesos, after the 

 Bearded Vulture), without once catching sight of this rare 

 species. The only three specimens that I have hitherto seen in 

 a state of freedom are the two old ones that I shot and the 



