54 SOME BIRDS OF THE CANARY ISLANDS 



We found a nest of the Morocco Raven one day, 

 containing six eggs, and placed on a ledge of rock in 

 an absurdly accessible situation ; I give a reproduction 

 here which presents a good idea of the materials of 

 which the nest was composed. The day was intensely 

 hot, and after I had finished photographing I took up 

 two of the eggs ; they were so heated that I could 

 scarcely bear them in my hand. I had not a suitable 

 camera with me that day for trying to photograph the 

 bird on the nest, so while I was thinking how best to 

 set about it, Lorenzo entertained me with the remark, 

 whispered into my ear, El cucrvo sabc niucho, Sehor. 

 He seemed to stand in great awe of the Raven, and I 

 think gave it credit for the possession of a large amount 

 of sagacity, in which surmise he was probably correct. 



Although my fortnight in Fuerteventura could not 

 be called exactly successful from the point of view that 

 I had anticipated, yet I certainly did manage to obtain 

 photographs of nests, at any rate, of some of the most 

 interesting birds. Had we arrived in the island a 

 month later in the season I should have had more to 

 show, the Sand-Grouse for instance, or Ganga as the 

 peasants call them, were still going about in small 

 coveys, and had evidently not started nesting at the 

 time I write of, about the middle of March. I must 

 however add that I did not visit the southernmost 

 extremity of the island, which is, I believe, the most 

 interesting, and is certainly the most wild ; but I had 

 no introductions to any one in those parts, and though 

 I had a tent with me I never used it, owing to the 

 difficulty of obtaining water. 



Food also was another stumbling block, and 1 was 



