80 



On the Guadalquiver. 



their heads. The birds gradually became more and more 

 frightened, until at last they rose from the water and took 

 a short flight. Down came the falcon like a stone and 

 knocked a duck on to the water, and there he left it floating 

 keel uppermost. The ducks and stilts settled again, but 

 the falcon still circled overhead until the now terrified 

 birds rose again. This time he singled out a stilt, struck 



Fig. 11.— Stilt's '^e=t strongly built in Wet G-round. 



it in a flash, and left it like the duck floating on the water. 

 Apparently he was only practising or having some sport, 

 for he swept right away and left his victims limp and dead. 

 But a dead body is not left for long in this country where 

 hungry kites and birds of prey abound. One afternoon we 

 shot and lost a duck and a slender-billed gull ;" the next 



* Larus gelastes. 



