Mr. A. Chapman — Winter Notes in Spain. 449 



had just arrived. Along the peculiar marsh-belt known as the 

 Retuerta — the point at which the conflict between the blown 

 sands from the Atlantic and the alluvial deposits of the great 

 delta is being most keenly waged — were a good many Green 

 Sandpipers [Totamis ochropus), invariably single bii'ds and 

 rather tame. At Santa Olaya I observed a small party of 

 Kentish Plovers {/Egialiiis cantiana) running along the sandy 

 shores of the lagoon, and this species, with Dunlins and Ring 

 Dotterels, also frequented the mud-banks of the Guadalquivir. 

 On the night of January 27th, while riding along the " ma- 

 ris ma,'"* we recognized the note of the Greenshank [Tot anus 

 canescens) , and Redshanks [T. calidris) were plentiful enough 

 on all the mud-flats ^d " salinas.^' These, with Curlews and 

 Plovers, almost complete the list of their class. The lack of 

 Waders and of the pretty Little Egrets, Butf-backed and 

 Squacco Herons, so conspicuous in spring, left rather a blank 

 along the broad rushy confines of Donana. The Spoonbills 

 [Platalea leucorodia) were also absent, though, in Portugal, I 

 remember observing them at intervals throughout the winter 

 on the lagoons of the Vouga and elsewhere. Yet there was 

 no actual deficiency of bird-life — it was quality rather than 

 quantity that was wanting. The air was alive with Pewits 

 and Plovers, small Gulls, Magpies and Jackdaws, Sky- 

 larks, Meadow Pipits, Wagtails, Common and Reed-Bunt- 

 ings, and similar species. Herons [Ardea cinerea) stood 

 posted at intervals in the shallow water, and here and there 

 a small party of Storks ; while in the midst of all this bird- 

 population, and apparently utterly unnoticed by them, the 

 Marsh Harriers {Circus ceruginosus) ceaselessly wheeled and 

 circled. After watching them for hours, I have never seen 

 them attempt to take a bird on the wing, or to pursue any- 

 thing at all, though frequently pouncing upon something — 

 I could not see what — among the rushes or shallow water. 

 There the Harrier would remain with outstretched wings, 

 struggling with some victim {perhaps a frog) for a few 

 minutes, and then quietly resume his hunting. The Hen- 

 Harriers (C cyanus) were unusually scarce; probably the 

 season was too wet for their tastes, and the few I observed 



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