Our ''Home-Mountains" 353 



the dark-brown rams of Oris hidnis tliat, in semi-feral state, 

 roam these peaks, 



San Cristol)al itself now holds no biu' oame ; tliouoh ibex 

 are found but a few leagues to the eastward, and, we rejoice to 

 add (on certain sierras where protection is afforded them), beoin 

 to increase. Tlie Serrania de Roiida, like Nevada, of which it 

 is an extension, lias never held either boar or deer ; both are too 

 rocky and precipitous to shelter those animals, thougli both boar 

 and roe are found in the lower hills towards Jerez. 



Just below the highest peak, the Cumbre de San Cristoba], 

 lies a curious little al})ine meadow. It is only forty yards square, 

 and while we rested, lunching, on 

 unaccustomed level a ooldcn eairle 

 swe]3t overhead, chased and hustled 

 by a mob of choughs that colonise 

 these crags. Ten minutes later a 

 lammeroever afforded a second olori- 

 ous spectacle, speeding througli 

 space on pinions rigidly motionless, 

 but stronolv reflexed, as is usual on 

 a descending gradient. Only once, 

 as far as eye could follow, was one 

 great wing gently deflected, and that 

 merely from the " wrist." 



On reaching a crest above, two 

 lammergeyers appeared, the first 

 carrying a long stick or thin bone athwart his beak ; the second 

 held a course direct to where L. sat on the ridue, cominor 

 so near that the rustle of huge wings sounded menacingly and 

 the white head, goklen breast, and hoary shoulders showed clear 

 as in a picture. We expected to find the eyrie somewhere hard 

 by, but in this we were mistaken — once more. It was not on 

 that hill, nor the next ; but on a third ! ' 



We discovered the nest of our friends, the lioklen eaoles. It 

 was situate quite two miles away, in a vertical pulpit-shaped 



' We mention, parenthetically, certain birds observed at end of March on that aljiine 

 meadow (1800 feet), as follows : — One ring-ouzel, a pair of common wlieatears, woodlarks, 

 ami Dartford warblers — all, no doubt, on migration — besides, of course, bhickchats, blue 

 thrushes, etc. A month later the beautiful rock-thrush had come to grace the desolation 

 with lilting flight and song, and tawny pipits ran blithely among the rocks. 



2a 



LAMMERGEYER OVERHEAD 



Gliding high on down-grade with rigid 

 retlexed wings, outer primaries in- 

 diawn, fan-wise. 



