'272 Pictures of Bird Life 



were on the pkitforiii of the httle station, not far from 

 JMadrid. 



South of Madrid the country is monotonous in the ex- 

 treme at tliis time of year (JVlarch) ; a barren-looking phiteau 

 appeared to stretch to the horizon, imbroken by tree or 

 shrub. The ^'ines iiad not yet begun to sprout, and appeared 

 to ])e so many rows of dead and hfeless stinnps. 



A few small parties of Swallows and Kestrels now 

 began to be seen, all of them working northwards : and the 

 farther south the more numerous they became, until by 

 the time Andalucia was reached many Swallows and JMartins 

 were noticed perching on the stations and telegraph-wires. 

 Xow and then a Bee-eater might be seen, and cactus hedges 

 and aloes bordered the line. 



Beggars infest all the stations, which are quite open to 

 all comers, cripples of all sorts and descriptions, and pedlars 

 shout their appeals and call attention to their wares. Some 

 of them sell water — " Agua, agua " ; others oranges, which are 

 cheap and delicious : and boys run about witli trays of fearsome- 

 looking cakes and eatables, of whose composition I know 

 nothing, nor want to — most unholy-looking compounds, whicli 

 would, I shoidd imagine, make very excellent fly-traps. 



The herdsmen and shepherds are invariably armed with 

 long rusty guns slung on their backs, and mostly clad in 

 leather from head to foot, looking much more like brigands 

 than honest men. Appearances are, however, deceptive ; for 

 further experience showed tliat tliis class of men were 

 invariably very polite and obliging. 



