Lord Lilford on the Ornithology of Spain. 171 



The Egyptian Vulture {Neophron percnopterus) is very com- 

 mon in Andalucia, and probably all other parts of Spain, in the 

 summer, and follows the plough, as observed by Captain Wid- 

 drington. In fact, during my last visit to Andalucia, in almost 

 every instance, when I observed ploughing, there were a pair or 

 more of these Vultures waiting about, and picking up the grubs 

 turned up by the ploughshare. They are very fearless of man, 

 and are conspicuous objects against the tawny-brown hills so 

 chai'acteristic of Southern Spanish scenery. The Spanish name 

 for this species is Alimocha or Aguila blanca. 



Eagles of many species abound in Andalucia, one of the 

 most common being the Imperial [Aquila heliacd), called in 

 Spanish Aguila real. I often saw this bird last year in the 

 neighbourhood of Seville; the museum there contains several 

 specimens, and I was offered a fine individual alive, in full adult 

 plumage and in pretty good feather, though he was kept chained 

 at the top of his owner's house in an appartment usually devoted, 

 I fancy, to anything but birds. I very much regretted that I 

 was not able to accept him, but as I was travelling about the 

 country I could not well carry him with me, and most reluc- 

 tantly left him to his fate. Brehm mentions this species as oc- 

 casionally found near Madrid, where I obtained a good speci- 

 men in May 1864. The Imperial Eagle appears to be rare in 

 the east of Spain, as it is not to be found in the collection of the 

 Museum of Valencia, nor could I hear of it at Barcelona, Alicante, 

 or Cartagena. 



The Golden Eagle {Aquila chrysaetus) is certainly less com- 

 mon in Andalucia than the last-mentioned species. I have ob- 

 served it near Granada, and all the collections I have seen in 

 Spain contain specimens. 1 know nothing of the Aquila fusci- 

 capilla of Brehm. A Golden Eagle crossed the road not more 

 than thirty yards ahead of me, in hot pursuit of a Little Bustard 

 {Otis tetrax), as I was riding from Alcala la Real to Castro del 

 Rio, in April 1864. I shouted and rode at him, and saved the 

 life of the Bustard, at all events for some time, as the Eagle 

 sailed indignantly off, and the quarry plunged into a field of 

 standing wheat. The White-tailed Eagle {Haliceetus albicilla) I 

 never saw alive in Spain, but Senor Graells has met with it more 



