S-t Mr. II. Noble— Fo?/</-/bMr 



Pterocles alchata. 



Local : very wild and difficult of approach ; seen in small 

 parties of six or seven at the beginning of May and later in 

 pairs. As the birds rise they utter their harsh cry and 

 continue calling on the wing. I never saw one settle within 

 sight. We obtained four sets of three or two eggs from 

 May 22nd to May 25th, all fresh. No nest is made, but 

 the eggs are deposited under the siielter of a thistle or other 

 plant on the sun-baked marisma. In my small experience 

 they are not very difficult to find ; the female always behaved 

 in the same way, rising at a distance of from sixty to a 

 hundred yards and uttering her wild cry, whereupon I marked 

 the spot as nearly as possible, put down a handkerchief, came 

 back twenty yards and commenced to hunt in a circle, and 

 in every case the eggs were found. If a pair rise, there are 

 no eggs. 



Caccabis rufa. 



Common, in spite of nets, traps, call-birds, and every 

 engine of destruction, in and out of season. One nest of 

 thirteen eggs was seen on May 2nd. 



CoTURNlX COMMUNIS. 



Common, and persecuted all the year round. Fresh 

 eggs were shown me on April 14th, and young were seen on 

 the wing on May 12th. 



Rallus aquaticus. 



Probably more common than Avould appear. We only 

 found one nest, which was in high rushes, on May 2nd ; it 

 contained two eggs. 



PORZANA BAILLONI. 



Common, if you know where to look for it. We found 

 eleven nests with eggs from May 2nd to May 20th, and 

 many others which had been trampled upon by cattle or had 

 had the eggs eaten by rats and pigs ! In every case but one 

 the nests were placed in low rushes and grass growing in water 

 from a few inches to a foot or more deep. They were never 

 in the middle of the swamp, but within twenty yards of the 

 sides. The nests are neat little structures, made of dry 



