1922.] Trij: in the Cantahrlan Mountains. 325 



were very well fed. I may here state that all the inns we 

 stayed at in this somewhat remote district were clean and 

 good, while the people of the country were delightful — always 

 ready to help and never interfering or inquisitive. 



From Riano we went by motor diligence to Cangas de 

 Onis, passing through a remarkably long, winding, and very 

 narrow gorge. A short light raihvay from Cangas took us up 

 to Covadonga, where there is a large hotel as well as a shrine 

 and a cathedral, to which many make pilgrimage. As the 

 valley here was too steep and too cultivated to make a good 

 collecting ground, we journeyed by motor diligence via 

 Carreiia and Panes to Potes, this being a two days' journey, 

 with a stop for the night at Carreua. Between Panes and 

 Potes is another long and very narrow gorge, similar to that 

 near Cangas. Potes, in the province of Santander and on the 

 eastern side of the Picos de Europa, is a considerably larger 

 village than Riano and, lying lower (about 1100 feet above 

 sea-level), has more cultivation. To reach good collecting 

 ground here we had to travel much farther away from our 

 inn than was necessary at Riaiio. Prom Potes we returned 

 to Panes, which is on the border of the province of Asturias, 

 and collected there for a few days. This village is only 

 about 300 feet above sea-level and the hills round it are 

 only small. From Panes we returned home via Santander, 

 Bilbao, San Sebastian, and Paris. 



All our collecting was done at Riano (23 September to 

 2 October), Potes (5 to 13 October), and Panes (14 to 19 

 October). 



Both Riano and Potes are in valleys with fair trout 

 streams, the river Esla at Riaiio being rather broad and 

 shallow, while the Deva at Potes is narrow and for the most 

 part hidden and almost inaccessible in a deep-cut channel. 

 All along both rivers Dippers were more numerous than I 

 have seen them anywhere else, while both White and Grey 

 Wagtails were common. In these main valleys Chaffinches, 

 Serins, Buntings (Yellow, Cirl, and Rock), and Blackbirds 

 were also common, as were Song-Thrushes at Potes, though 

 the latter were much scarcer at Riaiio. 



