the Straits of Gibraltar,' states tliat many pass north- 

 wards at the end of February, but the greater number, 

 almost always in pairs, during March. In the imme- 

 diate neighbourhood of Seville I have only observed one 

 during the month of February, but lower down the 

 Gadalquivir have found these Vultures in considerable 

 number early in March. I have been assured that a few 

 Neophrons pass the winter in the plains of Andalucia, 

 but I cannot affirm this as a fact, and believe that the 

 great majority leave Spain at the approach of autumn. 

 In very many localities in Southern and Central Spain, 

 where a broken hillside from its steepness attains to the 

 dignity of a cliff, and presents convenient ledges or 

 clefts, a pair or two of the Neophron may be found 

 breeding. The nests are composed of dead sticks, upon 

 which the birds pile up a mass of every imaginable 

 rubbish that they can pick up about their favourite 

 resorts — heaps of excrement and refuse that abound in 

 and about almost every village. In fact, whilst the 

 larger Vultures are usually more or less shy of approach, 

 and, for the most part, satisfy their appetites upon the 

 remains of large animals in the open plains, the present 

 species is ubiquitous, and seems to be as much at home 

 in a village-street as when following the plough for grubs 

 and worms, or watching for lizards and centipedes 

 amongst the lofty limestone rocks of the mountain- 

 ranges. I have generally found the Neophron in pairs, 

 but a good many may occasionally be found congregated 

 about any large skeleton from which the more powerful 

 carrion-birds have removed the flesh and entrails, 

 attracted, as I believe, not only by the chance of 



