Mr. A. Chapman — Winter Notes in Spain. 453 



by going to roost a full half-hour before sunset. One of the 

 first signs of approaching night is the flight of the Ravens. 

 Perhaps one has not realized the fact that the day is far 

 spent, and is reminded of it by their dark files slowly cross- 

 ing the sky towards their roosting-places while it is yet 

 broad daylight. The same habit is observable with the 

 smaller birds. For the last half-hour of the day none can 

 be seen^ and when one eventually finds their retreat, they are 

 buried in the deepest recesses of the pines ; hence these half- 

 hours at dusk produced but little. Among other birds obtained 

 Avere the Missel Thrush, Black Redstart, Robin, and other com- 

 mon species. One evening, while wandering among the pines, 

 a Buzzard dipped down from a lower branch and silently sped 

 away, till a shot in the wing brought him down. This was 

 a remarkably pale example, the whole plumage being of a 

 warm cream-colour, slightly mottled and splashed above with 

 dusky brown ; irides dark, and claws white. My brothers 

 obtained Buzzards in somewhat similar plumage in Germany 

 (adults, shot at the nest) in the spring of 1878, but I never 

 before met with the variety in Spain, the Spanish type being 

 generally dark. Another fine species met with among the 

 pines was the Eagle Owl [Bubo ignavus) ; and once, while 

 posted for a " drive " in the remote and isolated " mancha " 

 ot" Salivar, one of these great birds came straight for my 

 position, gliding beneath the dark trees and sweeping close 

 over my head. I may perhaps be allowed to mention that 

 the results of this "caceria^^ included 27 stags and 5 wild 

 pigs, besides several hundred heads of small game and wild- 

 fowl. Four lynxes were bagged during the season, as well 

 as foxes, badgers, &c. The sand-wastes in the neighbourhood 

 of such wild spots as the Salivar aud other isolated "manchas"'^ 

 aie traversed in every direction with the tracks of lynx, wild 

 cat, ichneumon, and badger, besides those of " game " and 

 the rectilineal footprints of the Stone Curlew. The Spanish 

 red deer difler from the Scotch type in the absence of the 

 rough hairy mane ; some of the heads obtained were remark- 

 ably fine for forest-deer, the best having fifteen points, though 

 not a very large animal, aud several others were '^ royals,^' 



