THROUGH WILD EUROPE 25 



half the youthful populace of the place, for a spot 

 not far from the little town of Tarifa. 



Here we found comfortable quarters in the 

 cottage of a labourer. The accommodation, it is 

 true, was somewhat primitive, but the two little 

 whitewashed rooms were beautifully clean, and we 

 saw no malos insectos or other pests. Above all, 

 old Juan, his wife, and their son, did their best to 

 make us feel at home and comfortable. 



We were surrounded on each side by a level plain 

 encircled with mountains, and immediately in front 

 of the house was a large marsh, or what would have 

 been such under ordinary conditions. Now it was 

 partly dried up, and at the back of the marsh flowed 

 a sluggish river. We found here a fair amount of 

 bird life, Whiskered Terns {Hydrochelidon hybrida) 

 were constantly seen hovering and skimming over 

 the reeds in some numbers, and small flocks of Buff- 

 backed Herons (Ardea bubulcus) attending on the 

 herds of cattle feeding on the plain ; but the date 

 (April 13) was too early for any hopes of seeing 

 nests of these species. Marsh Harriers were fairly 

 common, and also Purple Herons, and a few 

 specimens of the White Stork were observed. On 

 the 19th of April we watched three Cranes (Grus 

 communis) which were evidently thinking of com- 

 mencing nesting operations ; but though we waded, 

 and systematically searched, a large expanse of marsh, 



