178 Mr. Howard Saunders on 



several days on the v/ay, productive of little but some capital 

 Quail-shooting and useful information. 



In Seville I made arrangements with a noted marshman, to 

 go down into the plains with him after the Bustards {Otis 

 tarda) and anything else we could get — though for the marsh- 

 breeders, and especially the Flamingos {Phoenicopterus roseus), 

 it was too early. He at once began making excursions into 

 the Marisma, and on the 20th of April came in with the news 

 that the principal arrival of Bustards had taken place. Laying 

 in provisions for several days, we soon found ourselves in the 

 great plains to the south of the city. A promising marsh, over 

 which more than a score of Marsh-Harriers were hovering, lay 

 in the way; and we had not worked it long when a fine Purple 

 Gallinule [Porphyrio veterum) rose heavily from under Manuel's 

 feet, and next instant a shout of " Nido de Gallo-azul y tres 

 huevos" brought me floundering through mud and water knee- 

 deep to the spot. This was the only nest we found of this 

 species ; but it is by no means rare ; it is said to breed very 

 early; my own belief is that it has two broods. As for Marsh- 

 Harriers, there were at least twenty nests in that single marsh ; 

 one seemed to come upon them every few steps. Only one had 

 its complement of five eggs two days afterwards. I had left 

 one of the eggs of the Gallinule in hopes that the bird might 

 lay more, and on my return I was concerned to see a ]\Iarsh- 

 Harrier hover and finally settle down just over the site of the 

 nest. Pushing my way to the spot, I fairly ripped the robber 

 open with a charge of large shot, finding her bill still dripping 

 with the yelk of the precious egg, worth more to me than all 

 the Harriers together. From that moment I naturally vowed 

 vengeance against Circus aruginosus, so far as Spain was con- 

 cerned. Though damaged, the egg was not absolutely destroyed ; 

 and, to crown all, the next moment one of the dogs got hold of 

 the male Porphyrio, which is now in my collection. 



It is not my intention to extend this paper by giving details 

 of our sport in Bustard-shooting on this and subsequent occa- 

 sions, especially as it greatly interfered with general ornitho- 

 logy. The males had separated from the females, and we 

 often saw flocks of from ten to fifteen ; they were very wary. 



