. 
220 | 
Hope, in egypt, in Senegal, and in 
other tropical countries.* X 
Pérhaps the following notices of the 
first appearance of migratory birds in ths 
neighbourhood, Jast spring may not be 
unacceptable to H. O. 
April the 18th, The chimney swal- 
low, hirundo rustica, made its first appear= 
ance; but the species did not become 
pumerous until the second week in May. 
May 1. The martin, hirundo urbica, 
first appeared. 
May13. Theswift, hirundoapus, first 
appeared, which was rather later than 
ustal, 
The insertion of this in your useful 
miscellany will much oblige, Sir, 
Your's, &c. 
London, A NATURALIST. 
Septémber 2, 1808. . 
P.S. I shall feel myself much obliged to 
your Correspondent H. O. if he will nctice 
in your Magazine the first and latest ape 
pearance of the other species of swa low, 
(A. urhica and yustica), in the neighbourhood 
in which he lives. 
, a 
_. For the Monthly Magazine. 
ACCOUNT of RECENT TRAVELS in SPAIN, 
in which perticular AvTENTION was 
patd to the antrQurTres of that coun- 
tRY.—Continued from p. 26. 
ELNG at no great distance from Le- 
rida in Catalonia, Lresolved to visit 
that place, before turning towards the 
southern parts of Spain. Lerida, cele- 
brated in history under its anticul name 
Jlerda, as the scene of the masterly 
operations carried on by Cesar aguinsi 
Petreius and Afranius, who commanded 
ai ariny inthe interest of Pompey, du 
ring the civil wars of Rome: Lerida 1s 
situated in the western part of Catalonia 
near tothe borders of Arragon, upon the 
great road from Madrid into France,about 
twenty-two Spanish lJeayues, or above 
eighty English miles to the eastward of 
Saragossa, and 110 miles to the westward 
of Barcelona, 
Leaving Saragossa by the bridge over 
the Ebro, I turned down its left, or nor- 
thern bank for about half a league to the 
river Gallego, a rapid torrent coming 
down from the Pyretices, and at times co- 
véring a broad sandy bed. On it isa 
long wooden bridge in the neighbourhoud 
of the ruins of one of stone, which ex- 
tended across the whole channel. 
‘The road for five leagues from Sara- 
SS 
* See Prosper Alpin. Bis. Akgypt. vol i 
p- 198. Herodotus, lib. ii. 22, and Adanson’s 
Voyage to Senegal. . 
Account of recent Travels in Spain. 
[Oct, 1, 
gossa leads down the vale of the Ebro, 
gradually narrowing as we proceed, being 
confined on the north side by ‘high 
precipices producing only rosemary, la- 
vender, box, and other odoriterous shrabs, 
the growth of similar dry tiacts of Jand. 
Vhe plain is fertile and well cultivated, 
covered with woods and vineyards, and 
well peopled, the inhabitants chietly oc- 
cupying a number of large villages. “At 
the end of the five leagues, the road quits 
the vale leading diagonaliy up through 
the precipices and hills on the lett; and 
after three leagues more, brings the tra- 
veller to a solitary house called La Venta 
de St. Lucia. 
The journey of the following day led 
through the villages of Bujaralos; at the 
distance of four leagues, Peiralba two, 
Candasnog two, to the Venta de Fraga, 
four leagues, 
The whole tract of country from the 
plain of the Ebro, is elevated, uneven, 
dry, and uncultivated. Round the vil- 
lages are a few spots under grain: but 
they afford only a poor recompence for 
the labour bestowed on them, This 
tract is also so destitute of water, that the 
inhabitants have no other supply but 
what 1s procured from tanks or pools, 
made to collect the rain; which, in 
this arid region,’ falls but seléom in the 
summer season, 
On the north side of this tract of 
county are ranges of bare mountains, the 
svuthern slopes of the Pyrenees; but on 
the suuth side clumps of trees intermixed 
sith patches of green pasture, aiford some - 
relief tu the eye. 
From the Venta to the town of Fraga, 
the road leads over a wide open level 
space, aud then down a long rapid de- 
scent for above two leagues. This level 
space is in general covered with esparto, 
(spur/um), furnishing materials for the in= 
du-try of the thinly scattered inhabitants, 
Fraga, by some supposed to have been 
called, in the time of tie Romans, Erga, 
and by others Flavia Gallica, is situated 
on the east bank of the river Cinca, the’ 
ancient Cinga, running in a southerly di- 
rection from the Pyrenees totheEbro. The 
river flows rapidly in a deep channel with 
high steep banks, particularly on the east 
side, where they rise up into a chain of 
low hills, between which and the river, 
thetown is placed. Fraga was formerly 
an important post; as lying on the fron- 
ders of Arragon and Catalonia, and com- 
manding a passage over the Cinca, 2 
stream too considerable to be forded for 
many miles higher up: it was of course 
strongly fortified with a castle on a com- 
manding 
