SPKING-NOTES IN NAVAEEE. 455 



crested. The last-named has a pretty rippling note, quite 

 unique in its way. Nuthatches were numerous and clamorous, 

 and green woodpeckers (? sp.) were noted. Amongst the box- 

 scrub, fire-crests were common, with dippers and sandpipers 

 on the streams ; while, scattered about in the woods and hills, 

 we came across wryneck, wren, white and yellow wagtails, pied 

 and spotted flycatchers, turtle- and stock-doves, serin, gold- and 

 bull-finches and carrion-crow. Above the Eoncesvalles convent 

 on April 20th, in a grey mist and drizzling rain, numbers of 

 golden orioles, tree-pipits, skylarks, swallows, stock-doves and 

 other common lairds were picking their way northwards on 

 migration ; and a single spectacled warbler was obtained. This 

 species has very active, sprightly movements, and a robin-like 

 gait when hopping on the ground. 



On April 21st we journeyed, via Orbaiceta, to a forest- 

 guard's house in the great Iraty forest, observing eri route 

 grey wagtails and choughs, Egyptian vultures and ravens, the 

 latter nesting. The change from the beech woods of Burguete 

 to the endless spruce-fir forests of Iraty proved disaj^pointing. 

 Doubtless Ficus martius breeds here, for we saw woodpeckers' 

 holes which, from their size, could belong to no other species ; 

 but not a sight either of this bird or of the nutcracker 

 rewarded our careful search. Bonelli's warbler, with its rather 

 shrill, monosyllabic note, abounded wherever the nature of the 

 ground suited its habits, but had not yet paired ; nor could we 

 ascertain that any other species were yet breeding. The 

 hedge-sparrow here was of a noticeably jialer cast of plumage 

 than at home — perhaps explained by the altitude ; while at 

 Burguete, the chaffinches were visibly brighter in colour, and 

 we also detected a striking difference in the song of yellow- 

 hammer and some other species, as compared with English 

 birds — possibly the mysterious beginnings of evolution. On 

 the way back to Burguete, a sedge-warbler and a lovely 

 specimen of the wall-creeper — the only one we saw — were 

 obtained. 



During our six days' absence, a considerable influx of 

 migrants had occurred at Burguete, as evidenced by increased 

 numbers of pied flycatchers (mostly males), woodchats and 

 black redstarts. Blue-headed wagtails {M. necjlecta) were 

 running on the grass about the horses' feet, and, though the 

 bird has been given specific rank, reminded me strongly of M, 

 cinereocapilla, which I knew well in Lapland in 1884. During 



