1922.] Trip ill the Cantahrian Mountains. 327 



the Wall-Creeper and Alpine Accentor, and Gadow states 

 that he observed the Snow-Finch in the Picos. 



At Panes the river was broader and bordered with alders, 

 poplars, and willows with many briar thickets. Here we 

 found Chaffinches, Goldfinches, Tits (especially Long-tailed^, 

 Creepers and Firecrests with many Blackbirds, Song- 

 ThrusheSj Robins and Wrens, while Chiffchaffs were common 

 and Blackcaps more frequent than elsewhere. Here also 

 we found Cetti's Warbler, which we did not meet with else- 

 where. In the low hills round Panes were many thickets 

 of hazel and thorn, while most of the large trees were 

 Spanish chestnuts, but many of these were dead. On this 

 ground we found most of the birds wc had seen in the woods 

 at Riano and Potes, but Middle Spotted Woodpeckers were 

 apparently absent and Marsh-Tits were scarcer. 



Nowhere in all this region did we see any conifers, and 

 the absence of cistus, so plentiful in most parts of Spain and 

 Portugal, was most marked. 



Potes was visited by Lilford and Irby in May and June 

 1876, and the latter published a paper on the birds they 

 found in ' The Ibis ' tor 1883 (pp. 173-190). Comparing 

 the species found by these two ornithologists with those we 

 met with and omitting the summer migrants, most of which 

 had left by the time we arrived, we find some differences 

 worth remarking upon, but it is not always possible to be 

 sure of the locality Irby refers to, as many of his obser- 

 vations were made on the coast near Santander. 



He records Griffon and Egyptian Vultures and Lammer- 

 geyer as common near Potes, especially in the gorge. We 

 saw no Vultures of any kind. It is true that we passed 

 through the gorge rapidly in a closed motor diligence, but 

 it seems curious that we did not see these birds soaring near 

 Potes. Irby also mentions the Hen-Harrier as common, but 

 in this case I think he means near the coast and not in the 

 mountains. We saw no Harriers. Nor did we see any 

 Eagles, and Irby mentions Golden, Bonelli's, and Booted 

 Eagles. Again he mentions the Honey-Buzzard as common 



