389 
Lord Lilford on the Ornithology of Spain. 
and made for the Vulture’s nest, from which Manuel had killed 
the female. This nest was situated at the top of one of the 
tallest pines, and was visible from some distance, with the male 
bird seated close to it. He allowed us to approach almost to 
the foot of the tree, and sailed off apparently unhurt by a volley 
of our four barrels. Agapo was soon up to the nest, in which 
was a young bird of about the size of a Dorking-cock, which 
made strong demonstrations of hostility on finding himself for 
the first time in close proximity to the human form divine. 
Agapo, however, soon overcame his scruples, and lowered him 
tethered by the legs to the ground, where we received him with 
every attention. A more unsightly specimen of the great class 
Aves I never before beheld: he was covered with brownish-grey 
down, with a bright pink cere and very pale yellow legs and 
feet; part of the trachea of a sheep or goat, perfectly hard and 
dry, completely encircled one leg; and altogether his appearance 
presented a combination of the absurd and repulsive almost 
impossible to describe. The nest was composed of large boughs 
externally, and was lined with twigs and a few fragments of 
wool. In the foundation of the nest, which was unusually deep 
for that of a raptor, a pair of Tree-Creepers (Certhia familiaris) 
had established their abode, and were rearing a family of five or 
six young. This species appears to be common in all the 
wooded parts of the country. The Nuthatch (Sitta casia) is 
also common in this forest, and I shot two good specimens close 
to the Vulture’s nest. 
A little further on in the forest we found a large nest, on 
the lower branch of a pine. Manuel crept cautiously up towards 
it, and shot a fine female Booted Eagle as she dashed off. He 
then made a cache with pine-boughs within shot of the nest, and 
in about half an hour another shot proclaimed to us that the 
male bird also had fallen. The nest contained two eggs ; this 
appears to be the invariable number laid by this Eagle, which is 
one of the most common of the raptorial family in this district, 
arriving about the end of April, and remaining in the country 
till October. One of these eggs is represented on the accom¬ 
panying plate (Plate X. fig. 1). The other and more highly- 
coloured specimen, drawn on the same plate (fig. 2), was 
N. S.-VOL. II. 2 D 
