GYPS FULVUS. 149 



from the 1st of February to the 1st of March, the majority laving 

 between the 10th and 20th of February. Near Malaga they 

 are somewhat earlier, many laying in the latter half of January. 

 The egg is usually white, but is occasionally marked with buff- 

 coloured blotches, the nest consisting sometimes merely of three 

 or four bits of green bush laid on the rock, but being generally 

 lined with green materials, mostly broom, esparto grass, rushes, 

 and one with furze (Stark), and the birds, like other Raptores 

 that use green stuff to line their nests, continually renew it. 



Verner obtained " fifteen eggs on February the 25th, 1879, six 

 of which he blew, and found two fresh, three slightly, and one 

 much incubated. One of the fifteen was faintly spotted with 

 rufous at the large end ; the others were quite white." On 15th 

 of March, 1878, he took " eight eggs, one spotted with rufous at 

 the small end ; the others were white : four of the eggs were 

 fresh, four considerably incubated." On the 15th of April he got 

 " two eggs, which contained perfectly-formed embryos, about size 

 of newly-hatched Jackdaws, in which the shape of the bill, feet, 

 and claws of the adult Griffons was clearly discernible.'* On 

 May 14th, 1875, he got "two almost quite fresh eggs, no doubt 

 laid by birds whose first eggs had been taken. As regards the 

 colour of eggs : when first laid they are pure white, but soon 

 become stained and often covered with mud and blood. Anyone 

 who has seen a party of Griffons on damp soil, churning up the 

 ground with their feet around a carcass, can easily understand 

 the eggs becoming soiled. They are essentially cavern-haunting 

 birds, and whenever possible construct their nests in cavernous 

 situations occasionally in isolated crags, very rarely on an open 

 ledge, as shown in the illustration on p. 148 ; but the engraving 

 of the young Griffon in the nest, and that of the cave (p. 150), 

 where two pairs of birds were nesting, better exemplify their 

 usual breeding-places " *. 



* The Griffon was found nesting en an oak tree in Slavouia by the late Crown 

 Prince of Austria. 



