The Marismas of Guadalquivir loi 



Incios of El Desierto, unci now head away towards feeding- 

 grounds outside. Arrayed line beyond line in echelon, ten thou- 

 sand pinions beat, in unison — beat in short, sharp strokes from 

 the elbow. The fantasy of form amazes ; the flash of contrasted 

 colour as the first sun-rays strike on black, white, and vermilion. 

 One may have witnessed this spectacle a score of times, yet 

 never does it pall or leave one without a sense that here nature 

 has treated us to one of her wildest creations. No rude sketch 

 of ours — possibly not the best that art can produce — will ever 

 convey the effect of these quaint forms in vast moving agglomera- 

 tion. Long after tliey have vanished in space, one remains 

 entranced with the o-]amour of the scene. 



WILDFOWL IN THE MARISMA 



The flamingoes have passed away, but the lightening skies are 

 still streaked and serried. Most numerous are the wigeon, millions 

 of them in hurrying phalanxes, white specks flanged with dark 

 wings, too well known to describe ; pintails (this wet winter 

 hardly less numerous), readily distinguishable l)y their longer 

 l)uild and stately grace of flight ; the dark heads and snowy 

 necks of the drakes conspicuous afar. The arrow-like course of 

 the shoveler, along with his vibrant wing-beats and incessant 

 call, " zook, zook, tsook, tsook," identify that species ; wliile gad- 

 wall, more sombre in tone than the mallards, " talk " in distinc- 

 tive style ; and mob-like masses of teal and marbled ducks sweep 

 along the open channels. Then tliere are the diving-ducks with 

 harsh corvine croaks, pochards, ferruginous, and tufts, just as 

 swift as the rest, though of apparently more laboured flight ; 

 occasionally a string of shelducks, conspicuous by size and con- 



