94 A Day in a Laguna 
It would be beyond the scope of this chapter to mention all 
the birds seen during a day’s work in the marshes and I shall 
restrict. myself to describing some of those which are most 
noticeable. As you approach the lower portions of the plain near 
the laguna, White Storks (Czconza alba) are to be seen busily 
engaged in their search for frogs and other reptiles as well as for 
beetles. These birds of course do not nest in the marsh but 
they form so conspicuous a portion of its bird-life that they cannot 
be left out. Although many resort to the big towns to nest, others 
build in trees or on the tops of the small reed-built cottages or 
chosas of the herdsmen. I saw such a nest only this year on the 
summit of a small stack of straw close to a large cortzjo or farm- 
house. The old birds had taken extraordinary pains to twist and 
turn the first big sticks they brought so as to weave them securely 
into the binding withes of the straw stack and thus assure them- 
selves of a sound foundation upon which to rear the usual big 
platform of sticks. Another marsh-frequenting bird is the hand- 
some Buff-backed Egret (Ardeola russata), which are in constant 
attendance on the herds of cattle which pass so much of their 
time amid the rich pastures around the lagunas. These birds 
stalk gravely around the beasts or perch on their backs seeking 
their favourite food, the parasites which infest all animal life in 
warm countries. The local name for these birds is Purga dueyes, 
or ‘cattle cleansers,” derived from this habit. 
Leaving the muddy shore, you splash along through the shallows 
amid a scattered growth of reeds and water-plants. As the water 
deepens and the reeds grow denser, many Coots’ nests, some with 
six or seven eggs, are to be seen. On a hot day every nest not 
in occupation by the Coots is usually tenanted by two or three 
water tortoises (Clemmys leprosa) which invariably scuttle overboard 
as one approaches. These reptiles literally swarm in the rivers and 
lagunas of southern Spain and are one of the many foes of the 
