312 



Pictures of Bird Life 



biiLis (^HiinaiitupKs caiuiutus) feeding. 



had passed o^ er 

 the loose surface : 

 but the sight one 

 day of a hirge 

 pine-cone being' 

 rolled along by 

 the wind plainly 

 revealed t li e 

 cause of the mys- 

 terious track. 



These pine-cones, by-the-bye, are largely used as fuel 

 in some parts. Large piles of them may be seen exposed 

 for sale in the market-place of Coruiia, and doubtless in 

 otlier places also. In one hollow among the dunes the 

 surface of the sand was covered with pieces of broken 

 pottery, most of Avliich appeared to have been rudely en- 

 gra\-ed. A sliort search resulted in the finding of five 

 bronze coins, Aery nuicli abraded and corroded. One of 

 them showed the impression of a head and some letters of 

 an inscription, and all were apparently Roman. Tlie most 

 curious feature about tliese dunes is the extraordinarily abrupt 

 fasliion in wliicli tliey terminate and hang suspended, as it 

 were, over the country below. 



The foot of the steep slope of sand may reach, perhaps, 

 for a foot or a couple of feet up the stem of a ])ine-tree, 

 while half-way up otlier trees are seen to be buried up to 

 half their heiglit and some only liave the top branches visible ; 

 these show by their green foliage that they are still alive 



