258 



WILD SPAIN. 



placed on bushes rather than trees, resemble a Jay's, 

 slightly built of sticks exteriorly, and completed with green 

 moss, dry grass, etc, and contain five or six eggs. Half- 

 a-dozen nests may often be found within a hundred yards. 

 An active, sprightly bird, exclusively confined to the 

 Spanish Peninsula. 



The Jay, though common in the mountain-forests, and 

 in Portugal, is not seen on the South- Spanish plains ; 

 but the Magpie absolutely swarms. During lunch one 



AZURE-WINGED MAGPIES. 



day I counted upwards of seventy in sight at a time, 

 and from one spot. A rushy glade before us was dotted 

 all over with them ; their pied breasts surmounted nearly 

 every bush. Further away, I also counted during the 

 half-hour's halt (without including such small fry as 

 Kestrels, etc.) no less than twenty-one large birds of pre}' 

 — several Kites of both kinds, a soaring Buzzard or two, 

 Marsh- and JNIontagu's Harriers, and at least a pair of 

 eagles. 



