172 BIRDS IN ESTREMADURA. [PART II. 



ing covert from an adjoining patch of bushes 

 with so loud a rustle that I expected at the very 

 least to see a Hare make her appearance. Instead 

 of this however, to my great surprise, out bolted 

 an enormous Lizard, and away he went across 

 the open with head and tail well up, really a 

 noble looking beast. In length he could not have 

 been much under two feet, if he did not exceed 

 it, but he was chiefly remarkable for the size 

 of his body, which appeared to me to be nearly 

 or quite as large round as the thickest part of 

 a man's arm, his head and tail being quite in 

 proportion. 



Having mentioned Estremadura, I may en 

 passant observe that no part of Europe (and I 

 have been over a good part of it) ever struck 

 me as abounding with birds generally to such an 

 extent as that lovely district, or as affording so 

 varied a field for the researches of the Ornitho- 

 logist. 



Some years ago I killed in the Isle of Wight 

 a black Viper, exactly resembling in colour and 

 general appearance the variety figured in Pro- 

 fessor Bell's "Reptiles." Being in covert when I 

 came upon him, he availed himself of the cir- 

 cumstance to take refuge in a large hollow hazel- 



