•270 Pictures of Bird Life 



It was a common sight to see a couple of men, one on 

 each side of a scarlet petticoated woman, diggina on a steep 

 hillside, keeping step and time together. All six brown 

 arms would raise their spades above the head, down would 

 go the blades all together, like clockwork, being pressed 

 farther down by their bare feet. At e^•ery station — and 

 there was one every few miles — the train would wait while 

 many kegs and boxes of produce of some kind or other 

 were leisurely packed on board : and when we did at last 

 get under Avay again, tlie children would run alongside, 

 iumping on and off the footboard for some little distance 

 with familiar contempt. On every train travel a couple of 

 the ubiquitous '• guardas civiles," in their neat black-and- 

 white uniform, and armed with riHe and sword-bayonet. 

 One of these men would, every time he wanted a smc^ke, 

 open the l:)reech of his rifle, gi\'e it a tap, and out would 

 come a cigarette. Tliey are a long way tlie best-set-up and 

 most soldierly troops in Spain. Every station was also occu- 

 pied by a " carabinero,"' in shabby uniform of most atrocious 

 cut and coloin- or combination of colours. One I remember 

 liad a ])lue coat, red trousers, and bright green worsted 

 gloves ! 



JMagpies again are \'ery numerous : they appear to be the 

 commonest bird throughout both France and Spain. As the 

 train climbed higher and higher up into tlie sierras north of 

 ^ladrid, the snow-covered peaks began to be \ isil)le on each 

 side, and the nights were bitterly cold. Tlie people here 

 were Avrapped in their long Spanish cloaks, a most service- 



