148 



WILD SPAIN. 



he got to earth, or rather rock, ere we could capture him.* 

 But we must return to our ibex. 



Though, as regards venison, this day's operations proved 

 fruitless, yet it remains memorable for the magnificent 

 spectacle afforded of the wild ibex on his native heights. 

 As the beaters, looking at the distance like mites or 

 fleas, gradually. drew in towards the peaks of "El Cum- 

 brasco," a herd of eight ibex were observed slowly 

 picking an upward course towards the picachos del 

 canon. Disturbed, apparently, by some goatherd below, 

 these ibex never offered any promise of a shot ; yet the 

 spectacle they presented, while still wholly careless of 

 danger, the easy grace of every movement and spring-like 

 step as they bounded from rock to rock, was one of those 

 rare views of wild life one seldom enjoys and never forgets. 



The ibex took the snow about midway between our two 

 lines, and on the glacier-foot, below the " Cannon Eock," 

 they halted as though to court admiration — the grand 

 wide sweep and graceful curve of the horns carried by two 

 old rams set off in sharply denned outline against the 

 snowy background. 



Other days were devoted to stalking the ibex — each, 

 with his cazador and a single gun-carrier, on a separate 

 hill ; and this was • perhaps the hardest work of all, 



* Froin big game to butterflies is a far cry ; yet, on the chance of 

 having some entonioldgidtl readers, we may mention the following 

 Bhodopalocera observed in these Central Spanish sierras : On the wooded 

 slopes and among the scrub, the speckled wood {JEgeria) and a large wall 

 (? sp.) were common ; so also was a small species of a7,ure blue. A 

 single orange-tip (Cardamines) was observed, and several of the hand- 

 some Melanargia sillius. A very small copper was perhaps Polyom- 

 matus virgaureae, var. Miegii, Vogel, and of the clouded yellows, 

 Colias phicomone, E., higher, and C. edusa and Jiyale, lower, were 

 also observed. On the heights was a small orange-, or chestnut- 

 coloured insect, very active, and quite unknown to us. A hairstreak 

 (? TliecTda roboris) and L. sinapis occurred in the lower woods, 

 where the brilliant Gonopterix Cleopatra was also seen, as well as 

 one or two examples of a large and very handsome insect, apparently 

 of the Limenitis group — chequered black-and-white, probably 

 L. Camilla, F. One should, however, be a specialist to identify 

 these exotic species. 



