Sc7mb and Wood. 39 



snakes and coots. AH were not lined with dung, but every 

 one was adorned, even in places far from any human 

 habitation, with the " lesser linen," which Shakespeare 

 bids us look to when the kite breeds. The black kite's 

 nest differs little from that of its relation, except that 

 it is less ornamental, and sometimes contains no rags 

 at all. 



Green woodpeckers,''' of a species very nearly allied to 

 that found in England, were abundant amongst the cork 

 oaks, as were jackdaws,! while now and again a brilliant 

 blue roller;]: would glide up into a thick tree, or a golden 

 oriole, § always shy, would give us a glimpse of his glorious 

 black and gold as he dipped away into another tree to 

 resume his mellow piping. An occasional view of these 

 brilliantly coloured birds amongst the trees, and the bee- 

 eaters, II with their gorgeous rainbow hues, flying round like 

 swallows in the open, gave the whole place quite a tropical 

 aspect. But without the brilliant sun the metallic blues 

 and greens of the bee-eater are dull and brown, and it is 

 only when the sun is shining full upon it that one sees all 

 the gorgeous colouring of the bird as it hovers and floats 

 and turns in the air. It seems a sin that a bird should be 

 destroyed simply because of its beauty ; but so it is — 

 fashion demands it — and thousands of bee-eaters are 

 annually snared and roughly skinned by the Spanish 

 natives, who sell them to the milliners in Paris. We saw 

 a bee-eater going through the most extraordinary antics 

 in the air, and then perch on a tree to gasp for breath. 

 We shot the bird, and found round its neck a horsehair 

 noose attached to a small peg. Bee-eaters lay their egg3 

 in a tunnel which they are at some pains to bore into a 



* Gecimis sharpii. f Corvus monedula. % Coracias garrulus. 



§ Oriolus galbula. il Merops apiasler. 



