382 WILD SPAIN. 



At length patience and perseverance prevailed, and a 

 couple of raking shots produced just half a score, seven 

 males and three females. Some of the former were already 

 assuming the black throat of spring-time, but otherwise 

 they were all in full winter-dress, the males having few, 

 or none, of the large pale yellow spots that, later on, 

 adorn their backs and scapulars, and both sexes being 

 paler and less vivid in colouring than at the vernal 

 season. 



The carriage of these birds when on the ground is 

 very game-like and sprightly ; they sit half-upright, like 

 a pigeon, and on our final (successful) approach we 

 observed several of them lying down on their sides nestling 

 in the warm sand. Their flight resembles that of golden 

 plover, but is bolder, and the narrow black bordering 

 to the under-wing is conspicuous when passing near. At 

 times, when high in air, they might be mistaken for teal. 

 We found them excellent eating; their crops contained 

 small seeds and shoots of the samphire aud other bog- 

 plants ; their flesh is dark brown throughout (that of 

 Syrrhaptes iKiradoxus is half white, like a blackcock), and 

 was as tender and well-flavoured as that of a grouse. 

 The Spanish name of " gatuja," signifying a bargain, goes 

 to corroborate this opinion. 



At length our sojourn amidst these desolate scenes came 

 to its close. The pack-mules set out, literally, by the way 

 of the wilderness, while we took a longer route by the 

 shore for a final attempt on the ducks, and had a pretty 

 Jinale to our sport. A pack of forty mallards were descried, 

 and as the cahrestos drew u]) to the deadly range, there 

 caught the writer's eye what might have been a bed of 

 stones amongst some rushes, but which were in fact a fine 

 ■ spring of teal huddled together as close as they could sit. 

 Towards these, when the signal to open fire was given, 

 one gun directed his cartridges, while the other remained 

 faitliful to the imtos realcs. The result, seven mallards 

 and eleven teal, was a satisfactory climax to a pleasant 

 campaign under adverse conditions. For if heavy shots 

 were scarce, the scenes and sounds we have feeblv en- 



