282 



Pictures of Bird Life 



stji<>"e. The country inlaiul appeared to ])e eovered witli 

 pine-trees, 'rhi-ou<>h the <)la.ss many waders could be seen 

 feeding along tlie nniddy edge of the rixer. The tide in all 

 these Spanish ri\ers, as well as the Portuguese, runs with 

 aina/ing \ elocity ; theii- turbid waters race along with such 

 powei" and sj)ced tiiat accidents are fre(jucnt. 



Astern of the yacht were the usual crowd of (iulls. h<)\ ering 



on tile look-out lor Hoating 

 morsels ; with them were gener- 

 ally a Kite or two, also on the 

 watch. Both on the (iuadalquivir 

 as far as Seville, and on the 

 Tagus off' Lis})on, Kites were 

 daily to be seen |)icking uj) 

 garbage and refuse from the 

 different vessels, '[""hey are much 

 the commonest raj)torial bird in 

 Spain, and are the first to be 

 seen where\er you go. 'i'he 

 anchor was scaix'clv down l)efore 

 I had landed with all my e(|uipment. W'dU mc. to assist 

 in cai-rying the things, was a luckless valet, who, I fear, 

 did not enjoy himself half as nmch as I did. I never saw 

 any man more completely out of his element, when after- 

 wards, u]) to my knees in water, busily engaged in photo- 

 graphing a large flock of Dunlins in a dri\ing rain-storm. 

 I looked round and saw him ^ainlv endeavouring to find 

 shelter under a pine-tree, which afforded about as much 



Lrni.i: Owl {.ll/uiu hocIiki). 



