454 



PART III. 



SPRING-NOTES IN NAVAREE. 

 BY ALFRED CRAWHALL CHAPMAN. 



The breeding-season in Navarre, owing probably to tlie higli 

 mean altitude of that province, appears to be relatively later than 

 in other districts of similar latitude. In mid-April (1891) at 

 St. Jean de Luz and Irun, we luxuriated in warm sunshine and 

 the shade of leafy trees ; but at Alsasua, on the afternoon of 

 the 15th, we found ourselves transported to a region as cold 

 and bleak as Northumbria, while at Pamplona, though the sun 

 shone gratefully, his warmth was marred by a biting wind. 



A parched-looking, sterile country separates the capital of 

 Navarre from Burguete, a small village on the Spanish slope 

 of the Pyrenees just under the Eoncesvalles Pass, whither we 

 were bound. Outside Pamplona, a single polyglot, or icterine 

 warbler was observed, together with the following other 

 species : — redstarts, tree-pipits, woodchats, ortolans, goldfinch, 

 linnets, yellow-hainmers, and chafiinches ; and on the road to 

 Burguete were added : — griffon vultures — doubtless from Yrur- 

 zun — Bonelli's eagle, red kites, one marsh-harrier, hoopoes, 

 black redstarts, white wagtails, bluethroat (white-spotted 

 form), robin, willow-wren, swallow, ring-ouzel, stonechat, 

 wheatear, calandra lark, buzzard, kestrel, and grey partridge. 



At Burguete, between April 17th and 21st, of raptores 

 observed, with the exception of occasional kites, the buzzard 

 was the commonest hawk, and already had eggs. Tawny owls 

 had feathered young, but, beyond house-martins breeding in 

 the crags, no other species ajipeared to have commenced to nest. 

 In the beech woods around Burguete six species of tits were 

 common, viz., the oxeve, blue, cole, marsh, long-tailed and 



