on Spanish Ornithology . 79 



find numbers of Green Woodpeckers, miles away from trees ; 

 they were attracted tliither by the swarms of ants. Many 

 Nightjars [Caprimulgus evropams) and Little Owls also abode 

 there; the latter fluttered out from under one^s feet, and, 

 after a most un-owlish up-and-down flight, would dive in 

 under a big boulder, more like a fish than a bird. Small flights 

 of Teal also resorted to these hills during the day_, sitting 

 among the heather, and returning to the marshes at night. 



To return to the Goto. April 17th produced a nest of 

 Lanius meridio7ialis , its situation and construction resembling 

 that of a Missel-Thrush. Many nests of the Spanish Green 

 Woodpecker [G. sharpii, Saunders), which is one of the 

 earliest breeders in Spain, now contained half-feathered 

 young. I had already obtained their eggs early in the month. 

 They are very numerous, and drill deep holes in the hard wood 

 of the cork-trees. Their food consisting largely of ants and 

 the small red and black beetles which cluster in nearly every 

 crevice of the rough cork-bark, the characteristic " tapping " 

 is seldom heard ; but their loud maniacal laugh is incessant. 

 One of these birds, shot as late as 10th May, dropped an 

 undeveloped shell-less egg, from which I conclude they must 

 breed twice. On one occasion, while examining a second 

 hole, a foot or two above a thriving family of Gecini, a large 

 stoat leaped out right in my face — strange neighbours ! 



The Hoopoe is another bird whose monotonous note is 

 ever audible. Their flight, like the last-named species, is 

 undulating ; and when undisturbed their crest is depressed, 

 projecting backwards. They are '^ fine-weather '"* birds, and 

 during a shower of rain I have seen two or three of them 

 creep into a crevice of a wall for shelter. These plains are 

 infested with wild cats and badgers, also tall grey foxes of 

 the " greyhound " breed. I shot one fox of the handsome 

 dark variety or species, Canis vulpes melanogaster. 



The Goto de Donana contains many lakes, varying from 

 mere rushy pools to extensive sheets of water, each occupied 

 by a colony of water-fowl. On April 16th, riding up to the La- 

 guna de Sopiton, several Mallards and Gadwalls flew off at 

 our approach, I shot a drake of the latter from horseback, 



