VERNACULAR NAMES. 5 
larger ones. Pito real near Gibraltar is Picus major, our 
Great Spotted Woodpecker ; near Seville it is Gecinus Sharpii, 
the representative of our English Green Woodpecker {G. vi- 
ridis). Carpintero in Central Spain, according to Lord 
Lilfordj is Picus major; near Gibraltar it is the Great 
Titmouse {Parus major). Lavandera, or "washerwoman/^ 
according to localities is either a Wagtail or a Green Sand- 
piper. Quebranthuesos, " bone-breaker/^ properly applies to 
the Lammergeyer; but where that species is absent, it is 
usurped by the Neophron. 
These, among other instances, prove local names to be only 
an assistance, and not always to be taken to signify the bird 
to which they are affixed. 
On the other hand, some names are distinctive, as Abejaruco, 
Bee-eater ; Abubilla, Hoopoe ; Abujeta, Godwit ; Alcaravan, 
Stone-Curlew, &c. 
The Moorish Arabic names are for the most part copied 
from Favier^s MS.; but I have quoted none unless corrobo- 
rated by reference to natives of the localities in which the 
birds were shot. I will only add further that, as it is a 
matter of considerable difficulty to express Arabic words by 
English letters, in this work a mere approximation to the 
sound is attempted to be given. 
In the interest of the sportsman and the amateur collector 
of specimens, I have endeavoured to give a few hints as to 
the localities where each may best gratify his tastes ; but it 
would be foreign to my purpose and inapplicable to the limits 
of this work were I to reproduce any of the varied informa- 
tion which is to be found in the pages of Ford and other 
guide-books. In the country districts of Spain, and especially 
throughout Andalucia, nothing ever changes except the 
Government, which now can hardly be said to exist. The 
country is still the Spain of Ford, I might almost say of Don 
Quixote, and will probably remain so for centuries, except 
as regards the power of the priesthood, which is gradually 
waning and will doubtless soon cease to exist. 
In a general sense, travelling in Morocco is attended with 
more expense and less comfort than in Spain. The total 
