404 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
endeavouring to drive away a Vulture or Vultures. The noise 
they made was terrific. It really sounded as if two express 
trains, or perhaps two airships, were rushing through the air in 
deadly combat. Mingled with the flapping of immense wings I 
could hear cries of rage and once or twice actual blows struck. 
All this seemed to be quite close, as if the duel was being fought 
round and round the rocky pile in which I was concealed. But 
IT could see nothing ; momentarily I expected something to alight 
on or near the dead horse, but all I could actually see was their 
great shadows gliding past me at lightning speed. This went on 
for quite two hours, until by degrees the noise became more and 
more distant, as though the Eagle had succeeded in caag his 
antagonists away from the scene. 
On returning to our camp my suspicions were verified as 
before stated. This is the second experience I myself have of 
the antagonism existing between the Eagles and the more ignoble 
Vultures so graphically described by the late Crown Prince 
Rudolph, the first being in Spain, where I had seen a Bonelli’s 
Eagle strike down a Griffon Vulture which had presumed to 
approach it too closely. 
The next day the Hagle again appeared quite close to the 
carcase, and was in the act of attacking it when it suddenly 
flew off, and again I heard the same conflict going on, but on 
neither occasion did the Eagle return after driving away the 
Griffons, or whatever they might have been. I had now spent 
eight days without much result, and I made up my mind that if 
I could only succeed in photographing that Eagle I would shoot 
it as the only chance of being able to do the Vultures; for as 
matters stood it did not come itself at all freely, and would not 
allow anything else to come. 
I only had one more day as we had arranged to return, but 
on this last day my luck changed. To begin with, the light was 
good; the sun shone splendidly and brightly, and I began by 
making sure of the Ravens in various good positions. Then the 
Eagle appeared, at first near the horse, only half showing above 
the rocks ; but it soon advanced, and sat on the highest part in 
a splendid attitude clearly defined against the sky, and, after 
looking round defiantly, began to tear at the meat. Needless to 
say I lost no time, but exposed plate after plate as fast as I could 
