THROUGH WILD EUROPE 29 



thistles in some places gave a peculiar grey bloom 

 to the landscape. Calandra Larks and Short-toed 

 and Crested Larks rose before us, and on the 

 cultivated cornland we put up several Little Bus- 

 tards and ^ jails. The former show a good deal 

 of white on the wing. Nearing the slopes of the 

 hills, brilliantly-plumaged Bee-eaters and Woodchat 

 Shrikes, their red heads shining like blood in the 

 bright sun, sat on the oak- and cork-trees, watching 

 for passing insects. 



The base of all these rocky crags is festooned 

 and entwined with clinging, prickly briers, which 

 hold you fast in their embrace and trip up your feet, 

 and do all in their power to obstruct the way ; and 

 after our long tramp with heavy cameras in the 

 broiling heat we were glad enough of a rest in the 

 shade of some cork-trees. Scanning the lofty face 

 of the rock before us, we were delighted to find that 

 in many of the holes and crevices, wherewith the 

 precipice was pitted, Griffon Vultures were sitting 

 motionless on their nests. Dwarfed by their colossal 

 surroundings, these great birds, which have a spread 

 of wing of about ten feet, appeared to be no larger 

 than Starlings. Others soared high overhead, passing 

 and repassing as they circled round the summit of 

 the rock. From below it appeared to be unassail- 

 able, but, as we found out later, many of these 

 rocks, which appear so formidable from below, are 



