426 WILD SPAIN. 



Euddy Sheld-duck {lahaneo, pato canelo). — A few shot in 

 winter and early spring : breeds in hcurancos or low cliffs in 

 the Isla Menor, &c. 



Note. — The ducks of the Spanish marismas are extremely 

 irregular as to the species which appear : these varying 

 with the seasons and state of the water. Thus, one winter, 

 pintails will swarm ; another, gadwalls and garganeys are 

 conspicuous ; the next, at corresponding seasons, one or 

 the other will, perhaps, l)e almost entirely absent. 



Wild Swans. 



Spanish, Cisne. 



These are rare and excej)tional stragglers to Southern 

 Spain. In February, 1891 (a severe winter further north), 

 we found four wild swans — two fully adult, one of them a 

 very large bird — frequenting the Lucios de la Madre, in 

 the marismas of Guadalquivir. They were very wild, and 

 even when alone and separate from other fowl, refused to 

 allow the approach of our gunning-punt. Eventually we 

 fired at them at long range (No. 1 shot), but, though one 

 was badly struck, we failed to secure it : have little doubt, 

 from their note and appearance, they were hoopers. 



August in the Marshes. 



Since writing the above, we have enjoyed a new experi- 

 ence — a duck-shooting campaign in August. During two 

 days, some 250 ducks were bagged, of which half were 

 mallards (the drakes already distinguishable on wing), and 

 of the rest the greater proportion were marbled ducks, the 

 following species being also included : — gadwall, garganey, 

 ferruginous and white-faced ducks, ruddy sheld-duck, three 

 or four teal, and two pintails. 



The latter were probably wounded birds lingering since 

 the preceding winter ; which may also, perhaps, explain 

 the presence of three greylag geese which were seen but 



