J) 



98 Unexplored Spain 



on water, now soaring upwards in widening circle ; but uU the 

 time gaggling and protesting against the outrage in strident 

 tones that we could hear a mile away. Never, so far as eyesight 

 could reach, did the assailant make good his hold. 



Months afterwards — it was before daybreak on December 28 

 (1898) — the authors lay awaiting the "early flight" of geese at 

 the Puntal, hard by, when an eagle (whether the same or not) 

 appeared from out the gloom, made a feint at No. I's decoy-geese 

 (made of wood), passed on and fairly " stooped " at those of No. 2. 

 A moment later the great bird-of-prey fell with resounding 

 splash, and proved to be (so far as we know) the only sea-eagle 

 ever shot in Spain — a female, weight 12^ lbs., expanse just 

 under 8 feet. 



This is not the only instance in our experience of eagles 

 hunting before the dawn. We recall several others. Appar- 

 ently, if pressed by hunger, eagles start business early — almost 

 as early as we do ourselves. 



Spotted Eagle (Aquila naevia). — This also, like the last, is 

 scarcely a Spanish species ; but a beautiful example, heavily 

 spotted, was shot in September in the Pinar de San Fernando by 

 our friend Mr. Osborne of Puerto Sta. Maria. It was one of a 

 pair. 



Peregrine and Partridge. — Corral Quemado, Jan. 27, 1909. 

 While posted on a mesembrianthemum-clad knoll during a big- 

 game drive, troops of partridges kept streaming out from the 

 covert behind. Their demeanour struck both me and the next 

 gun posted on a knoll 200 yards away. Across the intervening 

 glade, almost bare sand but for a stray tuft of rush or marram-grass, 

 the partridge ran to and fro in a dazed sort of way, crouching flat 

 as though terror-stricken, or standing upright, gazing stupidly in 

 turn. None dared to fly, though some were so near they could not 

 have failed to detect me. The mystery was solved when a 

 peregrine swept close overhead and made feint after feint : yet not 

 a partridge would rise. Well they knew that the falcon would 

 not ^tv\\iQ on the ground ; but what a " soft job " it would have 

 been for a goshawk or marsh-harrier ! Presumably partridge dis- 

 criminate between their winged enemies and in each case adapt 

 defence to fit attack. 



An interesting scene was terminated by a lynx trotting out by 



