on Spanish Ornithology. 91 



ever met with ; gambolling and splashing about on the water, 

 chasing each other, now above now below its surface, like a 

 school of porpoises, they appeared half birds, half water- 

 turtles, with which the lagoon abounds. Presently they 

 entered a small reed-margined bay, swimming very deep, 

 only their turtle- shaped backs and heavy heads in sight. I 

 crept down on them, and as they sat, splashing and preening 

 themselves in the shallow water, stopped three — two dead, 

 the third escaping, winged. They proved to be a duck and 

 drake oi Erismaturame7'sa, heavily-built diving-ducks, round 

 in the back, broad and flat in the chest, with small wings 

 like a Grebe, and long stiff" tails like a Cormorant ; the latter, 

 being carried under water as a rudder, is not visible when 

 the bird is swimming. The beak of the drake was much 

 enlarged above, and of a light mazarine-blue colour. Their 

 whole plumage (except the white face) was dark ferruginous, 

 and not (as represented in Bree) white below. I found they 

 were known to the guardas as " Patos porrones,^^ and sub- 

 sequently found several pairs at the Laguna de Medina, near 

 Jerez, where, on 23rd May, they were evidently breeding. 

 At the same place were great numbers of the Great Crested 

 Grebe {Podiceps cristatus), quaint-looking birds in their full 

 summer dress. The nests of the Little Grebe were floating 

 in every rushy pool. 



As already mentioned, the Heron-tribe are numerously 

 represented in Andalucia, both specifically and individually. 

 Except Ardea cinerea and^i. purpurea the whole family are late 

 breeders. About the middle of May the Buff-backed Herons 

 were often seen flying about the plains in packs of a score to 

 fifty or more. The pretty little Squaccoes had then shifted 

 their quarters to the reedy edges of the lagoons ; and several 

 nests appeared nearly ready for eggs in the "juncales," or 

 reed-beds ; but none of the genus appear to lay before June. 

 Besides the species of Ardeidse already mentioned in this 

 paper, the Night-Heron and the Bitterns, both Common and 

 Little, are also numerous in Andalucia. Nevertheless, owing 

 to their retiring and nocturnal habits, these species are seldom 

 seen, being difficult to raise without a dog. The same remark 



