94 



Unexplored Spain 



In such years of drought many of the newly arrived wildfowl, 

 especially pintails, pass on southwards (into Africa), not to return 

 till February. The remainder crowd into the few places where 

 the precious element — water — still exists. Such are the rare pools 

 that are fed from quicksands (nudes) or permanent land-springs 

 (ojos) and a few of the larger and deeper lucios of the marisma. 



Riding through stretches of shrivelled samphire we frequently 

 spring deer, driven out here, miles from their forest-haunts, by 

 the eager search for water. 



Approaching the first of the great lucios, or permanent pools. 



j.-^ 



WHITE-EYED POCHARD {FuU<julu nyroca) 



a wondrous sight lay before our eyes. This water might extend 

 for three or four miles, but was literally concealed by the crowds 

 of flamingoes that covered its surface. For a moment it was 

 diflicult to believe that those pink and white leagues would really 

 be all composed of living creatures. Their identity, however, 

 became clear enough when, within 600 yards, we could distinguish 

 the scattered outposts gradually concentrating upon the solid 

 ranks beyond. Disbelieve it if you will, but four fairly sane 

 Englishmen estimated that crowd, when a rifle-shot set them on 

 wing, to exceed ten thousand units — by how much, we decline to 

 guess. 



The nearer shores, with every creek and channel, were darkened 



