Spring-time in the Marismas 387 



Laguna de las Terajes, May 8. — A lonely lagoon hidden 

 away in a saucer-shaped basin amidst sequestered downs ; almost 

 the entire extent (twenty acres) choked with dense cane-brakes 

 and thick green reeds which stood six or eight feet above water. 

 We had driven hither, nine miles, across sandy heaths and pine- 

 wood ; and while breakfasting on the shore our two canoes 

 (carted here yesterday) were got afloat. Meanwhile, on a patch of 

 open water we had observed several white-faced ducks swimming, 

 deeply immersed, and with their long stiff tails cocked upright 

 at intervals, together with some eared grebes ; while marsh- 

 harriers slowly quartered the brakes and the reed-beds rang with 

 the harsh nasal notes of the great sedge-warbler. On pushing 



tmBmmmmm 



4h 



WHITE-FACED DUCK {Erisvmtura leucocephala). See also p. 28. 



out into the aquatic jungle ahead — no light labour with five feet 

 of water encumbered with densely matted canes and the dead 

 tangle of former growths — we soon fell in with nests of all the 

 species above mentioned and several more. Those of the white- 

 faced ducks consisted, first, of a big floating platform of broken 

 canes, upon which was piled a mass of fine dried " duck-weed " — 

 the coots' nests being formed of flags and reeds alone. None of 

 the ducks' nests contained eggs ; probably the season was too 

 early (in other years we have found their great white eggs, 

 rough-grained, about the third week in May), but possibly the 

 harriers had forestalled us, as we found one eg^ floating along- 

 side. The grebes were just beginning to lay ; their nests, com- 

 posed of rotten floatage, all awash and malodorous, containing 

 one to three eogs. Next we found two nests of marsh-harriers, 

 immense masses of dead flags, two feet high, supported on floating 



