814 Pictures of Bird Life 



like a flock of geese. Sometimes two of them would 

 quarrel aud spar up to one another with their great red 

 beaks, making a great clattering. 



In the midst of a patch of reeds between me and them I 

 saw tlie long thin neck and the briglit eye of a Little Egret 

 looking warily around, as if to make sure there was no danger 

 near. Seeing nothing, it stepped slowly and gracefully into 

 the open, and commenced to feed. But suddenly all the 

 birds looked up, though I could neither see nor hear anything 

 to alarm them. All the Storks took to flight, and the Egret 

 retired into cover as quietly and noiselessly as he had emerged. 

 The stampede was presently explained by the sight of a 

 mounted herdsman, '• garrocha " in hand, homeward bound. 

 A picturesque figure he looked, but a ^ery unwelcome one 

 to me. 



The herds of cattle are tended throughout the day by 

 mounted herdsmen, armed with a heavy iron-tipped club, 

 or with the '* garrocha." a kind of short, blunt lance. I never 

 knew the bulls to interfere with anybody. I have often 

 ridden through tliem and walked close past them, carrying 

 the camera. Avithout attracting any unwelcome attentions. 

 But one evening, as Benitez and I were riding home, he 

 pulled up his mule suddenly and motioned me to stop, 

 saying "El toro " (the bull), as a small herd of cows and 

 calves, followed by a magnificent black-and-white bull, 

 crossed the track a few yards in front of us. AN^hether this 

 particidar bull was known to be of a l>ad character I do not 

 know, but on this occasion, at any rate, he trotted quietly 



