480 ORNITHOLOGICAL SKETCHES 



allowed all the rest to live, for it is a pity to take away life 

 wantonly, and the skinning of them would have been a re- 

 pulsive business. 



When in the north of Spain I had an opportunity of ob- 

 serving an Egyptian Vulture quietly feeding at a carcass. 

 It came a few moments after I had withdrawn into my 

 hiding-place, and instantly began by thrusting its head into 

 the belly and among the entrails of the beast. At first it 

 tore out great pieces, bolted them at once, and from time to 

 time drew itself up and stared about, dripping with blood; 

 but after an incredible amount of flesh had vanished down 

 the throat of this gluttonous bird, it commenced pulling at a 

 long entrail of the sheep, and hopping backward with short 

 jumps, tugged and swallowed at the same time, stuffing till it 

 could stuff no more. It then exerted its full strength, broke 

 the entrail, flapped away a few paces, and, after ruffling its 

 feathers and shaking itself, began to digest its meal with 

 evident satisfaction. It had, doubtless, hurried so much in 

 order that it might have an undisturbed enjoyment of the 

 banquet before the arrival of its larger relatives. 



The Egyptian Vulture builds in cliffs, generally in a per- 

 fectly unapproachable place, its nest being situated in a hole, 

 cranny, or rift, but almost always in a position where it is 

 protected by an overhanging part of the rock. The hollow 

 of the nest is large and its exterior very loosely put together, 

 a few twigs placed one upon another, feathers, sheep's wool, 

 the hair of goats and pigs, and all sorts of animal refuse, such 

 as bones, bits of skin, and even the dry dung of cattle, being 

 the materials that form the dirty stinking abode of this carrion 

 bird. I saw from a distance several of its nests in high cliffs, 

 but only found one that was fairly approachable, and that 

 was placed in a precipice of the Pena Blanca rock, among the 

 spurs of the Sierra G-uadarrama. 



Just as I got under the nest the old bird was bringing food 



