Days' Nesting in Andahicia. 81 



marie than those of the other species, and often had a few 

 rushes used in their construction ; the eggs are much 

 smaller and cannot be mistaken. 



Ardetta minuta. 



The Little Bittern is very common in certain districts. 

 We found fresh eggs on May 7th; on the 18th five nests, 

 containing five, five, five, four, and three eggs respectively, 

 all fresh. Four of these nests were on boughs, under the 

 sheltering heads of young willows pollarded last year but 

 with a fresh growth of a foot or more ; they were surrounded 

 by high rushes growing in water four feet deep, and were flat, 

 rather like those of the Wood-Pigeon, with some dead rushes 

 in them. It was not difficult to see them, as the white eggs 

 showed up plainly ; but the wading to them was a hard 

 task, owing to the matted rushes in the water. On May 20th 

 and May 24th many nests were found in reed-beds on another 

 part of the river; upwards of twenty in course of building, 

 or containing from one to six eggs, being seen in a single 

 morning; these were in high reeds, which were very difficult 

 to get through, and were composed of dead rushes placed 

 a few feet above the water. Two clutches were much 

 incubated. 



BOTAURUS STELLARIS. 



We never saw or heard this bird, though I am told that 

 it is common in certain seasons ; two fresh eggs were taken 

 on the wet marisma Las Nuevas and brought to me on 

 May 15th. 



CiCONIA ALBA. 



One of the most conspicuous birds, common everywhere. 

 A regular colony was found in some high trees on April 18th. 

 Many nests contained four or five eggs, all slightly incubated. 



Platalea leucorodia. 



Not common. About fourteen pairs were found breeding 

 on an island of rushes growing in deepish water ; on 

 May 14th several nests contained one egg, and one three-' 

 They were much like those of the Purple Heron, but smaller 

 and placed nearer to the water. 



SER. VIII. VOL. II. G 



