THE LARGE GAME OF SPAIN AND PORTUGAL 179 



Mountain Deer 



Of the Spanish chamois there is little to be said. He is more 

 or less common in the Pyrenees, where the French call him 

 the ' izard,' the Spaniards ' rebeco,' and in the Cantabrian high- 

 lands, especially about the Picos de Europa, where he is ignobly 

 slain by driving. 



But the great prize of Spain to men of our craft is the ibex — 

 the ' Cabra montes ' of Andalusia, the 'bucardo' of Aragon. The 

 Spanish mountaineers do not much affect ibex hunting, though 

 there are a few hardy souls among them who, donning their 

 a/paragatas, or hemp-soled sandals, make a living out of this 

 most fascinating of field sports. 



The ibex is found on the highlands of Spain from Biscay 



j to the Mediterranean, and from the Pyrenees to the Straits 



, of Gibraltar, as also on the hills round Andorra, on the 



i mountains of Toledo, and along all the elevated Cordillera of 



! central Spain ; but its favourite haunt is the Sierra de Gredos. 



J This lofty sierra is the highest point of the Carpeto-Vetonico 



j range, extending from Moncayo through Castile and Estrema- ' 



i dura, and forming the watershed of Tagus and Douro. It 



separates the two Castiles, and passing the Portuguese frontier 



here known as the Sierra da Estrella, which, with the Cintra 



s, extends to the Atlantic seaboard. Along the whole range 



ihis extensive Cordillera there is no such favourite ground for 



ibex as its highest peak — the Plaza de Almanzor. During 



.- winter months the ibex are found on the lower slopes of 



he range towards Estremadura, but in summer and autumn 



rds of them, especially the males, make their homes in the 



virons of Almanzor. The best time for ibex shooting in 



