182 Lord Lilford on the Ornithologij of Spain. 



cess, as the Hoopoes, Green Woodpeckers, and Titmice, of which 

 we saw great numbers, had not apparently yet begun to lay. 

 Great numbers of the Spanish Sparrows, Passer salicicolus, were 

 building in the plane trees ; and Woodchats, Pied Flycatchers, 

 Goldfinches, Serins, and Nightingales in profusion enlivened 

 the roadsides. Not even in Epirus have I heard so many of 

 this last species ; and I was glad to hear that the " Ruisenor," 

 as the Spaniards call this delightful bird, is protected by special 

 order of Her Catholic Majesty, who is repaid by a nightly 

 serenade immediately under her palace-windows, such as not 

 even the most skilled of her music-loving subjects can give her. 

 We procured some more specimens of the little Scops Owl, and 

 heard the fine clear note of the Golden Oriole, Oriolus galhula 

 (in Spanish " Oi^opendola"), which was then beginning to arrive 

 in the country. A man at work in a field informed us that 

 there was a nest of " Milano," Milvus ictinus, in a lofty stone- 

 pine at some distance fi'om the spot where we met him ; and 

 sure enough, on approaching the tree he pointed out, we could 

 descry the nest and the tail of the Kite projecting therefrom. 

 Manuel was anxious to secure the bird, as he received a reward 

 of sixteen rials, between three and four shillings, for every 

 animal danino (noxious animal) which he brought in to the 

 Administrador. We accordingly approached the tree, cautiously, 

 from opposite directions, and I killed the bird as she slipped 

 quietly off the nest on my side. The nest was nearly at the top 

 of the tree, which shot up without a branch for at least 

 seventy feet, and was far too bulky to admit of " swarming." 

 Two urchins, who had watched our proceedings, declared that 

 there was only one man in Aranjuez who could get to the nest, 

 and that their father was that man. We accordingly despatched 

 them to fetch him, and in the mean time shot many specimens 

 of Passer salicicolus, of which bird great numbers were nesting 

 in the thick branches of the pine over our heads, and some 

 actually in the foundation of the Kite's nest itself. A bird, 

 which I at once identified as a Short-toed Eagle, Circaetus 

 gallicus, sailed by, but out of shot, and the male Kite kept 

 soaring in circles far above us. In a very short time the boys 

 returned with their father, a fine specimen of the Castilian 



