Bird Life in the Spanish Marismas 317 



wax red. On May 4th they had just eoiumeiieed to hiy, and 

 a few days later we could have taken hundreds of then' eg^s. 



In tlie tufts of samphire and coarse grass were many 

 Redshanks' nests, and with these there was much more 

 attcjupt at concealment, the eggs being more or less hidden 

 })y the canopy of green above them. 



In company with the Redshanks were invariably many 

 Stilts, the two species nearly always being found together, 

 both while nesting and feeding. In their hal^its. too, they 

 are very similar, except that the Stilt is a nuich quieter 

 bird when breeding. I have seen with them none of the 

 noisy excitement which is so conspicuous when the breeding- 

 oround of Redshanks is invaded. 



The Stilt is a particularly beautiful bird. As Seebohm 

 truly says, "they look the perfection of beauty and grace"; 

 and it was one of the most interesting experiences of this 

 expedition, to Avatch them running over the mud and wading 

 in the shallow water. They were exceedingly numerous — I 

 should say the most abundant species in this locality, so 

 prolific of bird life. 



On INIay 8rd, before we had ridden more than a mile, 

 JNIanuele, who was riding somewhat in advance, pulled up 

 and hailed me with the shout, " Un nido " (a nest). On 

 reaching the spot, I saw my first Stilts nest. It was a 

 solid construction of tamarisk stalks and small twigs, built 

 up from the bottom of the water, about ten inches deep. 

 This was spangled with numerous delicate white blossoms 

 like water-crowfoot, and thinly grown over with a spiky 



