Bird Life in the Spanish Marismas 313 



and struoo-lino- for existence in the deatli-like ^rip of the 

 jdl-devourinty sand. A few more years and their dead 

 branches will protrude in the midst of a sandy desert, withered 

 and bleached M-ith exposure until they are finally engulfed 

 and lost completely to sight. If in future ages this covering 

 of sand should be removed, the sight would be very weird 

 and curious, and would no doubt afford endless speculation 

 and give rise to many ingenious theories among the learned 

 of those days. 



In one of the pine-trees at the foot of one of these 

 threatening slopes we found a Raven's nest. This was at 

 the summit of the tree and strongly compacted of sticks, 

 and the deep hollow ^-ery thickly and comfortably lined 

 with red cow-hair. It contained five eggs, as did also another 

 nest not Aery far away. In the same forest was a Stork's 

 nest on the extreme summit of one of the pine-trees, and 

 on it, against the sky, we could plainly see two young birds 

 and both the parents. These forest-building Storks are always 

 very shy, and nuich more difficult to approach than those 

 which frequent the towns and houses. 



There was another nest in a large dead cork-tree not 

 far from the house, which overlooked a small muddy creek 

 or marsh, in which we generally noticed in passing many 

 Storks feeding, and an occasional Purple Heron or Egret. 

 Crawling into position one evening, and hiding among the 

 bracken, which was about six feet high, I had the treat of 

 watching a flock of about fifty Storks feeding. The great 

 birds solemnly stalked through the shallow pools, feeding 



