. Unexplored Spain. Hunting; Natural history. 314 Unexplored Spain for a snow-scramble, following the dwindling Monachil to its source, where the nascent river trickles in triple streamlets down black rock-walls mantled by impending snow-fields. Here snow lay in scattered patches dotted with the resurgent unkillable " pincushion " gorse [Buphaurum spinosum) and a spiny broom that later develops a purple blossom, and separated by intervals where the melting mantle had left Mother Earth viscous and in- choate, heart-broken at the indignity of eight months in the arctic. Higher up the s
. Unexplored Spain. Hunting; Natural history. 314 Unexplored Spain for a snow-scramble, following the dwindling Monachil to its source, where the nascent river trickles in triple streamlets down black rock-walls mantled by impending snow-fields. Here snow lay in scattered patches dotted with the resurgent unkillable " pincushion " gorse [Buphaurum spinosum) and a spiny broom that later develops a purple blossom, and separated by intervals where the melting mantle had left Mother Earth viscous and in- choate, heart-broken at the indignity of eight months in the arctic. Higher up the snow became continuous, but seamed by innumer- able rills, each laughing and dancing as in delight at a new-found existence, or converging to join streams in buoyant exuberance. Some leapt forward through fringing margins of emerald moss; others ploughed sullen ways beneath an overhung snow-brae. But no chirp or sound of bird-life broke the silence, the only living creatures were ants and a bronze-green beetle ! {Pterostichus rutilans, Dej.)—not a sign of those alpine forms we had specially come to seek. From 8500 feet the snow stretched upwards unbroken (save where some sheer escarpment protruded), covering in purest white the vast shoulder of the Veleta. The Picdcho itself was to-day hidden amidst swirling clouds, and only once did we enjoy a momentary glimpse of its great scarped outline. Yet in three short weeks, say by May 20, all these leagues of solid snow will have vanished. Facing this gorge of the Monachil, the opposite slope is crowned by the conspicuous turreted crags known as the Penones de San Francisco, 8460 feet. To these L. had climbed, and though we both failed in finding the chief of our special objects (the snow-finch) yet L. had enjoyed a glimpse of another alpine species, new to us, and we decided to revisit the spot on the morrow. That morning again broke fine, the precursor of a glorious day. Hardly had we left our quarters than a lammergeyer soared ove
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, booksubjecthunting, booksubjectnaturalhistory
