sierra Morena 15^ 



Merito) has favoured us with Litest details respecting both the 

 ibex and other wild beasts therein. 



The wild-goat (he writes) is the most difficult of all game to shoot, 

 proof of which is afforded by the fact that in the lauds which 1 hold in 

 the Sierra Quintuna (although until recent years these were unpreserved 

 and in the neighbourhood of a village where every man was a hunter) 

 yet the local shooters had not succeeded in exterminating the species. 

 Its means of defence, over and above its keen sight and scent, consist 

 chiefly in the inaccessible natural caves of those mountains, in which the 

 wild-goats invariably seek refuge the moment they find themselves 

 pursued. In these caves the goats were accustomed to pass the entire 

 day, never coming out to feed except during the night. 



To-day (since free shooting lias ceased) they begin to show up a 

 little during daylight, and in other ways demonstrate a returning con- 

 fidence. Nevertheless they display not the slightest inclination to 

 abandon their old tendency to betake themselves, immediately on the 

 appearance of danger, to the vast crags and precipices which lie towards 

 the east of the sierra, and which crags afford them almost complete 

 security. The most effective method of securing a specimen to-day is, as 

 you kuow, by stalking (rcst'cho). For this animal, when it finds itself 

 suddenly surprised by a human being, is less startled than deer, or other 

 game, and usually allows sufficient time for careful aim to be taken — 

 indeed, it seems to be the more alarmed when it has lost sight of tlie 

 intruder. 



The rutting season occurs in November and December, and the kids, 

 usually one or two in number, are born in May, the same as domestic 

 goats. These kids have a terrible enemy in the golden eagles, since their 

 birth coincides with the period when these rapacious birds have tlieir 

 own broods to feed, and Avhen they Ijecome more savage than ever. To 

 reduce the damage thus done, I am now paying to the guards a reward 

 for every eagle destroyed, and this last spring took myself a nest contain- 

 ing one eaglet, shooting both its parents. 



The dimensions of horns I am unable to put down with precision, 

 but tliere was killed here an ibex (which was mounted by Barrasona at 

 Cordoba) measuring 85 centimetres in length ( = 33^- inches). Of the 

 last, which was killed by Lord Hindlip, as shown in photo I send, the 

 length of horns was 68 centimetres ( = 26§ inches). 



The dimensions of the best ibex head obtained by us in this 

 sierra were : Length, 28 inches ; basal circumference, 8^ inches. 



