90 Mr, A. Chapman's Rough Notes 



species breed in colonies, building their nests on the floating 

 weeds of the lagoons in the Goto de Dofiaua ; they all lay three 

 eggs. Those of the Whiskered Tern are mostly green with 

 small black spots; a few, however, are olive-brown. The 

 eggs of the Black Tern are of a rich brown, heavily blotched 

 with black. The large Gull-billed Tern breeds out on the 

 islands of the marisma : I obtained their eggs on my first 

 visit on 23rd May. 



Early in May I had found several nests of the Montagu's 

 Harrier, but no eggs till the 10th. These birds breed in 

 the thickest " manehas,'' or jungle, which are often wholly 

 inpenetrable on account of the long and thorny " salza/' a 

 vicious sort of briar which entwines itself round the scrub, 

 and forms a matted lacerating jungle often 15 or 20 feet 

 high. Many of these " manchas " are islanded between 

 ridges of blown sand, and are the stronghold of the Spanish 

 lynx {Fells pardinci), which are tolerably numerous and 

 work havoc among Partridge and rabbits. Some of these 

 Harrier's nests were on the ground, mere outlines of half-a- 

 dozen twigs ; others were placed 3 or 4> feet high, especially 

 where there was water, and were loosely built of dead roots. 

 In the water below lay many bones of rabbits. They also 

 nest in the standing corn. The manner in Avhich Felipe 

 could call up the Harriers within shot by imitating the squeal 

 of a wounded rabbit was surprising. Many of the Spanish 

 *' guardas " are intelligently observant of the fer<2 natur(B 

 among which they live, and in field-craft they are far in 

 advance of their British representatives. 



During May I rode several times to the large Lagunas de 

 Santa Olaya, where numerous wildfowl were breeding. 

 Besides Mallards, Gadwalls, and Ferruginous Ducks, already 

 described, were numerous Pintails, Teal, and some small 

 grey ducks, I took to be Anas marmorata. I think some 

 of the Pintails must remain to breed, as on May 8th I saw a 

 " bunch " of a dozen or so at Santa Olaya, all drakes, their 

 snow-white throats glistening in the sun. Near them a pair 

 of Shoveller drakes were swimming. Next, the binocular 

 rested on six of the most extraordinary -looking wildfowl I 



