Days' Nestiny in Andalaciu, 77 



Athene noctua. 



Very common. Eggs were found from April 24tli, tlie 

 bird often sitting on three only, while the largest number 

 in one nest was five. They are laid at intervals of one 

 or two days. One nest was on the ground, inside a large 

 cork-tree. In nearly every case the female was incubating. 

 Young birds were found on May 14th. 



Circus ^ruginosus. 



Common, especially by the river, where they nest in the 

 reeds. On May 6th we found seven nests in the almost 

 impenetrable reeds on Tarfia : in some the eggs were fresh, 

 in others incubation was far advanced. One contained 

 five, one four, one three, the others only two; but as thirty 

 dozen eggs of Purple Herons and " Kites " were taken 

 by one set of fishermen from this island last year, it is 

 possible that the clutches were incomplete though incubated. 

 The nests were made of rushes, and were situated lower in 

 the reeds than those of the Heron, while they were verv 

 substantial : one nearly carried ray weight. As a rule, tliev 

 were not in quite such thick places, and one was on the ground 

 in a nearly clear spot. The birds sat close ; we never flushed 

 a male from the nest. Four nearly fresh eggs were found on 

 May 15th in the marisma on a little scrub bush. One male 

 had his crop full of remains of eggs. 



Circus cineuaceus. 



Not so common as the last species and more local. We 

 only found it numerous in one large enclosure of high 

 grass and rough weeds, where, on May 7th, we took five 

 nests, containing four or five eggs each, which were slightly 

 incubated or fresh. They were all placed on the ground, and 

 were well made, one having many feathers in it. In each case 

 the female was on the nest, and from one which was killed 

 I took the leg of a Quail. This Harrier sits very closely : I 

 marked one hen bird on her nest, and four men walked in line 

 ten yards apart till I was convinced we had passed her : we 

 turned round and walked past once more ; still she declined 

 to move. I then fired two shots without result ; but it was 



