180 Lord Lilford on the Ornithology of Spain. 



two former, I think, resident in all parts of Spain. Bubo maximus 

 is not rare in the mountains, and Asio otus, A. hrachyotus, and 

 Syrnium aluco are well known, though I did not obtain specimens 

 of any but the four first-named species. The Eagle-Owl is 

 known as " Buho grande ;" the Long-eared, Short-eared, and 

 Tawny Owls indiscriminately as " Caraho ;" the Barn-Owl is 

 called " Lechuza ;" the Little Owl " Mochuelo f and the Scops 

 " Corneja." I was informed by Senor Graells that he has met 

 with Bubo ascalaphus in the province of Catalonia. 



We returned to Madrid on the 20th of April in pouring rain, 

 which continued almost without intermission till the 24th, on 

 which day I went down again to the Casa de Campo and shot 

 several birds. The Warblers were arriving in great numbers, and 

 we obtained specimens of Sylvia orphea, Calamodyta arundi- 

 nacea, C. phrag^nitis, besides some Pied Flycatchers, Muscicapa 

 atricapilla, a Tree-Pipit, Anthus arboreus, Scops Owls, Bee- 

 eaters, Woodchats, Lanius rufus, and Spanish Magpies. On this 

 occasion I first met with the Red-necked Nightjar, Caprimulgus 

 ruficollis, but had not the luck to get a shot at him, as I had 

 just killed a Warbler, and was struggling through the thick 

 brambles to pick it up, when the Nightjar rose at my feet, and 

 was out of sight before I could get my gun to my shoulder. 

 The difference in size and the general lighter colour of the 

 plumage at once distinguish this species from the Common 

 Nightjar, C. europaus, which, as far as I have observed, is not 

 very common in Spain. I was much struck by the enormous 

 number of Swifts, Cijpselus apus, which had arrived since my last 

 visit to the Casa de Campo, and were now, with the Bee-eaters, 

 by far the most prominent species about Madrid. The beautiful 

 Lesser Kestrels, Tinnunculus cenchris, had also received strong re- 

 inforcements, and, with their congener T. alaudarius, now occu- 

 pied every coigne of vantage in the town, particularly affecting 

 the roof of the Queen's palace, where they appear to live amicably 

 in company with great numbers of House-Pigeons and Starlings, 

 Sturnus unicolor. Manuel informed me that a Peregrine Falcon 

 generally took up its abode on the palace-roof in winter, and 

 committed great havoc amongst the Pigeons. I found a speci- 

 men of this Falcon at the bird-stuffer's, Severini ; but I am still 



