FROM SPAIN. 477 



of the Vulture and the Stork, but much more suggestive of 

 the latter. An old finely coloured male is a smart-looking 

 bird, and at first attracts attention; but the observer is soon 

 disgusted and wearied, for at every step he sees this lazy 

 dirty fellow. 



I found the Egyptian Vulture in the highest of the Spanish 

 mountains, in the plains, by the sea-coast, among woods, and 

 on the outer houses of the towns. The nests which I saw 

 were situated in cliffs, and when circling round its dwelling 

 or sailing along the rocks, apparently without effort or the 

 slightest movement of its wings, there are moments when, 

 thanks to its pointed tail, the shape of its wings, and the 

 carriage of its head, it reminds one of the Bearded Vulture. 

 The Spaniards are, therefore, not altogether so wrong in giving 

 to both birds the same name of " Quebranta-huesos." 



I never saw the Egyptian Vulture in the immediate neigh- 

 bourhood of Barcelona, and the people of that place were 

 quite unacquainted with it. We met with the first at 

 Valencia, but from that point found it everywhere throughout 

 the country. 



As we ran into the station of the Spanish capital I noticed 

 an Egyptian Vulture placidly sitting on a stone and allowing 

 our train to pass it. In the Gasa de Campo, on the other side 

 of the city, I also saw some of these birds close to the houses, 

 and in the woods of the Pardo several came to a carcass in a 

 few minutes. 



At Murcia I shot a very finely coloured specimen which 

 was sitting on a dead horse close to the town. A whole pack 

 of half-wild dogs had surrounded this carcass, but a couple of 

 Egyptian Vultures and a Raven pushed in among them and 

 drove them apart with blows from their beaks. In Cartagena 

 I observed these Vultures in a part of the town which has 

 lain in ruins since the time of the last civil war. 



