Mr. A. Chapman — Jfinter Notes in Spain. 445 



The blank left by the departure of the summer birds is to 

 some extent filled by the arrival of the northern migrants ; 

 but it is in the nature of these to be always less conspicuous, 

 and their presence may be entirely overlooked unless one 

 goes to seek them in their own haunts. With my limited 

 experience, it is impossible to give the dates at which the 

 various steps in this transition from summer to winter 

 conditions take place ; but among the earliest signs I ob- 

 served of the autumnal arrival on the Peninsular coast was 

 the appearance of the Common Sandpiper {Totanus hypo- 

 leucus) in the early days of September, rapidly followed by a 

 stream of allied species. Limosa lapponica, Totanus canes- 

 cens, Tringa canutus, T. alpina, ^gialitis hiaticula, and 

 others, together with Common Terns, Black-headed Gulls, 

 &c., have come in force by the middle of September. On 

 the 11th the Whimbrels [Numenius phaopus) arrived, but only 

 remained a month, or rather their transit occupied that period. 

 The last I shot was on October 10th, after which date^ 

 none were seen till their return journey in May. Curlews 

 {Numenius arquata), on the other hand, are very numerous all 

 the winter ; they arrive later than the Whimbrels, and depart 

 in spring, before the latter have reappeared. Of the immense 

 numbers of wading birds which throng the Iberian coasts 

 and rivers during September and October, a very large pro- 

 portion seem to pass on southwards, and comparatively few 

 spend the winter in the Peninsula ; at least that is the case 

 in wet seasons, such as have been both the winters I have 

 passed in the country. 



Snipes and the bulk of the migrant Ducks seem to arrive 

 during October. Our first day^s Snipe-shooting was on 

 October 22nd, when we got 17i couples, including some Jack- 

 Snipe, besides several Golden Plovers, a Tufted Duck, and a 

 couple of Teal. We observed a good many Mallard and some 

 large packs of Wigeon, though the first of the latter actually 

 obtained was on the 7th November. I also recollect shooting, 

 on the same day, a single Turtle Dove {Turtur communis) , 



* On the same day I shot the first Golden Plover, a single bird ; the 

 bulk arrived a week or so later. 



