474 ORNITHOLOGICAL SKETCHES 



In no part of Northern Spain did I see it ; even in the 

 wooded mountain valleys of the range of the Picos de Europa 

 it does not appear to occur; and this is very surprising, for the 

 extensive beech-woods of that region would afford it excellent 

 nesting-places. 



In Portugal I saw in museums stuffed specimens which 

 had been killed in that country, but there, too, it seems to be 

 uncommon. In Spain it is undoubtedly most abundant in 

 the neighbourhood of Madrid. 



The behaviour of this vulture at a carcass is very re- 

 markable. Dealing heavy blows with its beak and wings it 

 hops in among the Griffon Vultures when they are already 

 greedily eating, drives them quickly apart, tears off a great 

 piece of flesh, and goes off with it to a considerable distance, 

 flapping along close to the ground. If there is but a single 

 Cinereous among many Griffon Vultures, then the former, 

 which is undeniably the nobler and less greedy bird, retains 

 all its cautiousness and shyness, and seems to put no trust in 

 its yellow-plumaged relatives ; for long after they have been 

 comfortably feasting, it keeps examining the surroundings 

 from some elevated position. If, however, several Cinereous 

 Vultures come to a carcass at the same time, they are bolder, 

 for each relies on the wariness of the others, and the Griffons 

 get the worst share of the meal even when there are more 

 of them. 



According to my idea the Spanish Cinereous Vulture is 

 darker than our bird, the latter having a great deal of 

 brownish bkck in its plumage, while the former seems to me 

 to be as black as a Raven. In size they are pretty much 

 alike, and I give for comparison the measurements of one 

 Spanish and five Slavonian specimens. 



