44 On the Guadalquiver. 



unprotected nest in a country swarming with egg-eating 

 and chick-stealing birds is a puzzle towards the solution 

 of which I have no suggestions to offer. 



The Spanish magpie occurs only in the Iberian Peninsula, 

 and is even there very locally distributed. We met with it 

 in considerable numbers amongst pines and wild olives 

 some long way from the riverside. Of a most delicate blue 

 in general colouring, with a velvety jet-black head and a 

 long elegant tail, it is one of the most beautiful birds. In 

 habits it reminds one much of the jay, especially in the 

 way in which the birds go about in small parties chattering 

 loudly, always keeping just ahead of one, and out of sight 

 in the tree tops. We had many opportunities, however, 

 of surprising the magpies wben feeding on the ground. 

 Like the fieldfare and other birds they are very sociable, 

 and if one nest is found several others will be discovered 

 in neighbouring trees. All the nests we saw were built in 

 small pine trees, and were made of a silvery flower inter- 

 woven with twigs of pine, the inside being lined with red 

 cows' hair — a beautiful nest for a beautiful bird. 



It would weary the reader to be told of all the charming 

 and interesting birds that we saw in this wonderful country, 

 but I cannot refrain from telling of an eagle and its nest. 



We were riding home after a hard day's work, when we 

 spied a large black bird sitting near the top of a cork tree 

 some distance off. The keepers proclaimed it a ciierho or 

 raven, but a glance through our binoculars told us it was 

 something better. Accordingly, we made a wide circuit 

 until we had placed the tree between ourselves and the 

 bird. Then we dismounted and crept as quietly as possible 

 through the cover until we were under the tree. Here an 

 unforeseen difficulty presented itself. The tree was so 

 thick that we could not at first see the bird. At length 



