Grass Snakes and Ocellated Lizards 129 
instantly come to bay and with jaws widely extended, showing a 
cavernous pink-lined mouth and throat, front the assailant and 
make a gallant spring at him as he closes on them. My retriever 
‘“Sweep,” who, alas! succumbed this year, after four seasons of 
malarial attacks acquired in the /agwnas, had a most intense hatred 
for these big lizards and when following my horse across the plain 
habitually chased and brought to bay those he came across. Having 
done so, he would bark at them until he saw a chance of closing on 
them when he would seize them and throw them high in the air 
and many a severe bite did he receive when thus employed. 
Often enough he would seize the unfortunate reptile by the tail 
with the usual result of its owner quickly parting with it and 
making good its escape. ‘“ Sweep,” who had fallen behind my 
horse during this operation, would then gallop after me carrying 
the writhing tail of the reptile in his mouth in triumph, sometimes 
for long distances. Of snakes he had an equal hatred and killed 
many, often causing me no little anxiety. 
Among the smaller birds which abound on the vega in spring 
is the handsome Calandra Lark (A/auda calandra), a fine bird with 
a conspicuous black gorget. Both these and the Common Bunting 
are very numerous. The pretty little Crested Lark (Galrita 
cristata) is also abundant, its sweet flute-like call being constantly 
heard. The smaller Short-toed Larks of both species, the ordinary 
(A. brachydactyla) and the Betican (A. daetica), are also met with. 
The minute Fantail Warbler (C7s¢zcoda cursitans) is constantly to 
be seen and heard, its curious jerky flight and sharp staccato 
call making it easy to recognize. This little bird makes one of 
the most beautiful of nests of any of the European birds, pear- 
shaped, with a small entrance at the neck, woven of thistle-down 
and grassy fibres, and suspended, like a Reed-Warbler’s, between 
the stems of long grass or standing corn. The little eggs are 
either pure white or delicate blue speckled with rufous. It would 
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