1 78 Lord Lilford on the Ornithology of Spain. 



aforesaid Spotted Cuckoo. I had before had a passing glimpse 

 of this bird in Murcia in 1856, and again in Andalucia in 1864 ; 

 but I fancy, from subsequent observation, that it is much more 

 common in Central than in Southern Spain. On the present 

 occasion, my attention was at first attracted by a shrill chatter, 

 quite unlike the note of any bird with which I was acquainted ; 

 and on approaching the spot whence it proceeded, I descried 

 four long-tailed birds hopping about an open space some sixty 

 yards from me, and occasionally flying up into the surrounding 

 trees. As far as I could make out, they were engaged in catch- 

 ing and devouring grasshoppers, now and then diversifying this 

 pursuit by a little love-making and a great deal of altercation. 

 Their actions on the ground are very awkward and grotesque ; 

 but the flight is rather swift and well-sustained, somewhat re- 

 sembling that of the Common Cuckoo. They were rather shy, 

 and, on my showing myself, at once flew ofi" into the high trees, 

 where I heard them for a long time pluming one another, and 

 keeping up an almost incessant chatter. 



The following day I went down again to the Casa de Campo, 

 and persuaded Manuel to accompany me with his gun. We 

 again saw the Spotted Cuckoo, but he did not succeed in bagging 

 one; he shot a Spanish Magpie, a Hoopoe, a Scops Owl, and 

 two specimens of Phyllopneuste honellii for me, besides which 

 we saw, in addition to the species already enumerated, Lanius 

 rufus, Alcedo ispida, Turdus viscivorus, and Coccothraustes vul- 

 garis. In the Madrid market I observed Pintailed Sand- 

 Grouse, Pterocles setainus, Woodcocks, Scolopax rusticola, Gol- 

 den Plovers, Charadrius pluvialis, and Stone Curlews, (Edicnemus 

 crepitans. 



On my next visit to the Casa de Campo I noticed a pair of 

 Tinnunculus cenchris and Merops apiaster, just arrived from 

 their winter quarters. Manuel shot a Great Spotted Cuckoo 

 and several other birds for me, including four fine specimens of 

 Anthus campestris, which appears to be common in Castile 

 during the summer months, and a specimen of Potamodus cettii, 

 which is abundant, but, from its habit of frequenting the thickest 

 brambles along the watercourses, and its extreme reluctance to 

 take wing, very difficult to secure. The Common Cuckoo was 



