324 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



The camera had been set at the remains of a Pig which had 

 been devoured by Griffons that morning. Unfortunately we only 

 found it too late, when nothing but a few bones were left, by 

 seeing great numbers of Griffons flying round, while we were 

 wading about in search of Cranes' nests. Creeping up behind a 

 Donkey that happened to be grazing close by, I was able to focus 

 about thirty Griffons sitting in a circle round some bones ; but 

 instead of making sure of one plate, thinking they were gorged, 

 I tried to get a little nearer, and lost the chance, for they all took 

 alarm and flew off ; the last diners to leave being two Marsh- 

 Harriers, which were busily engaged in securing the fragments 

 left by the larger birds. 



One thing was very striking at all these attempts — the quick- 

 ness with which the bait was discovered ; every time there was 

 either a Griffon or a pair of Egyptian Vultures soaring overhead 

 before the camera was duly arranged and hidden, although none 

 were in sight at the beginning. I think now that if we had put 

 a whole carcase, either a Pig or kid, we should have succeeded. 

 A dead Eabbit was also tried on the sand-dunes in the same way 

 for Kites or Eagles. The first day the bait was carried off 

 bodily, and the string snapped without releasing the shutter. 

 Probably a Booted Eagle had swooped down and carried off the 

 bait without alighting, for there was no track or sign of footprint 

 on the fine sand on which it lay. The next day the bait — 

 another Eabbit put in the same place— had been partly eaten, 

 judging from the footprints around, by a Kite. Two Kites were 

 soaring over the spot, but on developing the plate, on my return, 

 it was found to be badly fogged. Waiting so many hours, only 

 covered by the roller-blind shutter, in the burning sun of Anda- 

 lusia had been too great a trial. Although my trapping was so 

 unsuccessful, it was partly from bad luck, and I think a pro- 

 longed attempt on similar lines would lead to some good results 

 with the numerous birds of prey to be found in the sierras and 

 forests of Spain. 



But if we failed in photographing Griffons at a carcase, we 

 succeeded in finding one within range of a telephoto lens while 

 sitting in its nest by the side of a half-grown young one, and, by 

 clambering into another nest with camera and tripod, in photo- 

 graphing a young bird in down, the occupant thereof; and also 



