Our ‘‘Home-Mountains’”’ 553 
the dark-brown rams of Ovis bidens that, in semi-feral state, 
roam these peaks. 
San Cristobal itself now holds no big game; though ibex 
are found but a few leagues to the eastward, and, we rejoice to 
add (on certain sierras where protection is afforded them), begin 
to increase. The Serrania de Ronda, like Nevdda, of which it 
is an extension, has never held either boar or deer; both are too 
rocky and precipitous to shelter those animals, though both boar 
and roe are found in the lower hills towards Jerez. 
Just below the highest peak, the Cumbre de San Cristobal, 
lies a curious little alpine meadow. It is only forty yards square, 
and while we rested, lunching, on 
unaccustomed level a golden eagle 
swept overhead, chased and hustled 
by a mob of choughs that colonise 
these crags. Ten minutes later a 
lammergeyer afforded a second glori- 
ous spectacle, speeding through 
space on pinions rigidly motionless, 
but strongly reflexed, as is usual on 
a descending gradient. Only once, 
as far as eye could follow, was one 
oreat) wing gently deflected, and that jaywerouvan ovERERAD 
merely from the “wrist.” Gliding high on down-grade with rigid 
On reaching a crest above, two reflexed wings, outer primaries in- 
5 ? drawn, fan-wise. 
lammergeyers appeared, the first 
carrying a long stick or thin bone athwart his beak; the second 
held a course direct to where L. sat on the ridge, coming 
so near that the rustle of huge wings sounded menacingly and 
the white head, golden breast, and hoary shoulders showed clear 
as ina picture. We expected to find the eyrie somewhere hard 
by, but in this we were mistaken—once more. It was not on 
that hill, nor the next; but on a third!? 
We discovered the nest of our friends, the golden eagles. It 
was situate quite two miles away, in a vertical pulpit-shaped 
1 We mention, parenthetically, certain birds observed at end of March on that alpine 
meadow (4800 feet), as follows:—One ring-ouzel, a pair of common wheatears, woodlarks, 
and Dartford warblers—all, uo doubt, on migration—besides, of course, blackchats, blue 
thrushes, ete. A month later the beautiful rock-thrush had come to grace the desolation 
with lilting flight and song, and tawny pipits ran blithely among the rocks. 
2A 
