FROM SPAIN, 457 
where, by crouching close up against the rock, we should be 
immediately under the nest and about sixty yards from it. 
iL now got the Spaniards, whom we had brought for the 
purpose, to make a screen of rosemary bushes, which, when 
propped up against the rock, afforded good cover. While we 
were still at work, a proud “Stein” Eagle wheeled about 
above us, a Griffon Vulture flew slowly over the mountains, 
and Lesser Kestrels and numbers of Sand-Martins fluttered 
round, uttering cries of affright and exhibiting great anxiety 
about their nests, which were in the crannies of the rock near 
the hole occupied by the Bearded Vulture. 
I had sat down under the sereen, and the Spanish hunter 
was just throwing a few more bits of bush over me, when the 
bird appeared. I could not see it from my hiding-place, but 
the hunter whispered to me that it was flying up along the 
slope of the hill close below us. I only heard its ery, a deep 
grunting sound, very much reminding me of the call of Aquila 
imperialis or Aquila adalberti. The Spaniard now hurried 
down the hill, and only my companion and I remained quietly 
in our ambush, crouching close to the rock and looking 
steadily towards the nest. I soon observed the young bird 
raise itself on the edge of its dwelling and petulantly shake 
its wings. It was already a fine big fellow, with its body 
feathered, but its head still covered with down. Ten minutes 
had hardly passed when we saw a great shadow glide over the 
ground, The Bearded Vulture was there, but covered as we 
were by the twigs of our screen we could only get an instan- 
taneous glimpse of the bird that we had been looking for so 
long. It swept twice past our ambush and then flew to the 
nest. 
The way in which the Bearded Vulture returns to its 
nest is quite different from that of the vultures and much 
more like that of the eagles; for, with stiffly extended 
wings, outstretched feet, head carried vertically but its tail 
