Mr. A. Chapman — Winter Notes in Spain. 447 



thing like the wonderful aggregations of the four first- 

 named species^ and were more inclined to frequent the rushy 

 lagoons and smaller pieces of water than the open " marisma," 

 where the others were mostly found. 



When flight-shooting in the early mornings, Pintails, 

 Wigeonsj and Shovellers were by far the most numerous. 

 The flocks of Shovellers seemed to come oS" the land, or 

 from the rushy margins of the Donana, and in an opposite 

 direction to the course held by the other Ducks named. 

 It was very interesting about dawn to watch the endless 

 flights of Ducks and Geese, which in every direction lined 

 the half-lighted skies, and the chorus of their wild notes was 

 not less attractive. The Pintails are silent on flight, but 

 keep up a constant confused sibilant chatter when on the 

 water ; the Shovellers make a spluttering sort of quack, less 

 defined than that of the Mallard ; and the note of the latter, 

 with the gaggling of the Geese and Flamingoes, the piping 

 whistles of Wigeon, Curlews, and many other wild-fowl, 

 all blended in that matutinal concert. A few Tufted Ducks 

 also appeared at morning flight — the only diving Ducks 

 actually identified last winter, though I know that the Common 

 Pochards and the White-fronted Ducks [Erismatura mersa) 

 were also present on the open "marisma,'' and, I think, 

 some of the White-eyed Ducks {FuUgula nyroca) as well. 

 Of the handsome Red-crested Pochard we saw nothing, nor, 

 at this season, of the Gadwall or the Garganey. The marsh- 

 pools, I should perhaps add, are at all times rather too shallow 

 exactly to suit the tastes of the diving Ducks. A pair of 

 Sheld-ducks [Tadorna cornuta) were shot in January by 

 a native fowler, and late in that month a small string of the 

 Ruddy Sheld-duck {Tadorna rutila) passed near our half- 

 hidden punts, but not within shot. This completes the 

 list of the Duck-tribe which we were able to identify. 



Next to the Ducks the most conspicuous winter wild-fowl 

 of the " marisma '' are the Grey Geese, which resort thither 

 from November till February in very large numbers, and, so 

 far as we were able to form an opinion, they appeared to be 

 all Anser cinereus. They spend the night afloat and come 



SER, V. — VOL. VI. 2 I 



