the Ornithology of Spain. 171 



of the Castiles* leave me nothing to say on that subject; and 

 1 will therefore commence with my arrival, on the 4th of No- 

 vember, at the picturesque city of Murcia, capital of the province 

 of that name, situate in a fertile vega, hemmed in by mountains 

 and watered by the river Segura. 



My first care was to inspect the museum, which contains 

 some fine Raptores, notably Aquila bonellii, A. pennata, and 

 Circaetus gallicus, — also Anas marmorata and Fratercula ardica, 

 obtained near the city. My friend Dr. Angel Guirao also 

 showed me his private collection, containing specimens, taken 

 on the eggs, by himself, of a curious variety of Thalassidroma 

 pelagica, of a uniform sooty black, without white rump or white 

 on the wings, which breeds plentifully on the Hormigas and 

 other islands just without the entrance to that great inland sea 

 called the Mar Menor, which extends to Carthagena. I then 

 started for the baths of Archena, distant about three leagues up 

 in the hills, and arrived there utterly crippled by rheumatism. 

 A few baths worked wonders, and I was soon enabled to crawl 

 about the rocks and prosecute my favourite study. 



Archena is situated in a gorge of the river Segura, the banks 

 of which are rich with olive- and orange-groves, interspersed with 

 clumps of date-palm ; around, the mountains are utterly sterile 

 and brown. Close by the baths rises a " hog's-back" of rock, 

 some five-hundred feet in height ; and one had only to climb to 

 its summit, and, basking in the sun, enjoy the quarrels of the 

 Black Wheatear [Saxicola leucura), watch the flight of the 

 Crag-Martins {Cotijle rupestris), and listen to the plaintive 

 whistle of the Rock-Thrush [Petrocincla saxatilis). Both the 

 first and last of these were very familiar ; and I have seen them 

 on the roof of the bath-establishment; but when out with my 

 walking-stick gun they always managed to keep out of range ; 

 and throughout my stay I was too weak to carry my double- 

 barrel. The Black Redstart {Ruticilla tithys) was very abun- 

 dant everywhere; and the Stone-chat (Pm^mco/a ruhicola), With. 

 us so shy of habitations, was always most abundant in orchards 

 and near cottages. In the open country were thousands of 

 Skylarks [Alauda arvensis), as well as Woodlarks [A. arbor ea) 

 * Ibis, 1866, pp. 173-187, 377-392. 



