488 ORNITHOLOGICAL SKETCHES 



locality. In the Sierra Nevada I caught sight of it, but only 

 in the distance : and one of my attendants found a nest, but 

 could not possibly get to it owing to the steepness of the 

 cliff. 



In Portugal I saw stuffed specimens in collections, and 

 learned from trustworthy sources that it bred there in suit- 

 able localities ; a nest was even said to have been situated at 

 no great distance from Lisbon. 



In the range of the Picos de Europa, in the north of Spain, 

 I observed several of these birds wheeling about over the 

 valleys. I also found a nest in an inaccessible precipice, and 

 while still making ineffectual attempts to get to it, the old 

 bird flew over me several times within a few yards; but I 

 could never manage to use my gun, as I had to hold on to 

 the rock with my hands. When I was going back, and by 

 an easier way, it again flew towards me, and settled close by 

 on a dead tree that projected from the cliff, from which 1 

 brought it down with a ball. 



I never saw this eagle in the Sierra de Gredos, which is so 

 full of precipices, snow-fields, and alpine forms of the grandest 

 description, nor did I receive any trustworthy information 

 about it from the natives of that district. 



In the wooded spurs of the Sierra Guadarrama I only saw 

 it a long way off; but one of my attendants was lucky enough 

 to find a nest, and shot the female, a splendid and very large 

 specimen. I was delighted at the finding of this nest, as it 

 afforded an opportunity of distinctly refuting an erroneous 

 opinion entertained even by many naturalists. People in 

 general believe that the " Stein " Eagle nests exclusively in 

 rocks ; others allow that in places where there are no rocks 

 it builds on trees, but that it only does so from necessity. 

 This is quite a mistake ; the " Stein " Eagle nests just as 

 readily on trees as on rocks, but the former must be high 

 and situated in a secure retreat seldom visited by man. In 



