THE VULTURES 303 



to reach the spot. The guide went first to reconnoitre and 

 was soon lost to sight ; but after a few minutes we could 

 hear his hail and see his head over a rock corner. Shouting 

 out that there were eggs, he directed us to make the best of 

 our way down to where he was. 



" Our path ran downwards in a slanting direction. The 

 rock was composed of gigantic boulders, and from one to 

 another of these we had to drop and make our way as best 

 we could ; . . . but after a rough scramble all four of us 

 found ourselves actually standing in the Griffon's nest. 



" Looking straight down under our feet we could see, a 

 thousand feet below us, a tiny patch of yellow sand on 

 which the little waves were lazily rolling ; while far away 

 to the horizon the sea shimmered and shone in the glorious 

 sunshine, with tints of blue and green and purple." 



In the nest the party found one young bird, very limp 

 and exhausted, either through the heat or through want of 

 food. It lay prone in the bottom of the nest. The Griffon, 

 by the bye, only lays one egg, usually in February or March. 



One member of the Griffon family is the species known 

 as RtJPPELL'S VULTURE, of which I am able to give a 

 fine photograph. It shows the bird in the act of spreading 

 its wings to catch the warmth of the sun — " sunning," as 

 it is called, or basking, as we should say. 



The KING VULTURE of Central and South America 

 is " a forest-loving bird, caring nothing for the lofty home 

 of its mountain neighbour, the Condor, but taking up its 

 residence in the low heavily- wooded places bordering 

 swamps and marshy ground. The nest is usually to be 

 found in the hollow of some decaying tree." 



For its appearance let me quote to you the glowing 

 description given by Waterton, the famous traveller : " The 

 throat and back of the neck are of a fine lemon colour : 



