4o8 Unexplored Spain 



rhynchiis. These " soft parts " are, however, subject to infinite variation, and 

 the above definition is a careful de(hiction from the results of many years' 

 observation. 1 



On several occasions we have examined from a dozen to a score of geese 

 without finding a single gosling among them. The largest j^roportion of the 

 latter so recorded was on January 29, 1907, when of sixteen geese shot, five (or 

 possibly six) were young birds of the year before. All these sixteen showed 

 some white feathers on the forehead, and the heaviest pair (two old ganders) 

 weighed together 18^ lbs. 



As regai'ds their weights, the following notes show the variation : — 



During the severe drought of 1896, six geese weighed on November 2G, 

 when almost starving for food and water, ranged from 6^ to 7 4 lbs. A month 

 later, when rains had fallen, weights had increased to 8| to 9^ lbs. 



December 28, 1899.— The heaviest of 29 scaled 9^ lbs. 



January 30, 1905. — The geese this dry season are in fine condition. An 

 old gander, shot at Martinazo, exceeded 1 Oi lbs., another pair, shot right and left, 

 scaled 9vl- and 10 lbs. 



Fehnunij 4, 1907. — Two geese, the heaviest of eleven shot this morning, 

 weighed over 9 lbs. each, the pair scaling 18| lbs. It was a severe frost, the 

 shallows being covered with ice, and as each goose fell, two bits of solid ice, in 

 form as it were a pair of sandals, were found lying alongside it, these having 

 been detached b}' the fall from the feet of the bird. 



1906. Noremhcr 28. — Two pure white geese observed on Santolalla to-day 

 and on subsequent occasions. Though usually seen flying in company with 

 packs of normally coloured geese, the white pair always kept together. 



1907. Janunrij 25. — After a month's bitterly cold and dry weather with 

 few geese, the wind to-day shifted to east, with heavy rain. All day long 

 a continuous entry of geese took place from the south-westward, in frequent 

 successive packs — sometimes two or three lots in sight at once. A sense of 

 movement Avas perceptible over the Avhole marisma. Next morning these 

 newcomers were sitting in ranks of thousands by the " new water " all along the 

 ver2;e of the marisma — a wondrous sisht. 



Notes on some Wildfowl that nest in Southern Spain 



WILD-DUCKS 



Pintail (Dafila acuta). — In wet years a considerable number of pintails 

 remain to nest in the marismas of Guadalquivir, and by August the broods 

 (together with those of garganey, marbled duck, etc.) assemble on the only 

 waters that then remain — such as the Lagunas de Santolalla, etc. 



In 1908, a very wet spring, almost as many pintails bred here as mallards, 

 and in eight nests observed the maximum number of eggs was nine. They 



' One such note may be given as an example : — 



" 1903. — Examined 40 geese shot January 1 and 2. Legs varied from white and pale flesh- 

 colour to pale yellowish and pink, adults all of the latter colour. Beaks vary from whitish or 

 flesh-colour, through yellow, up to bright orange. A few of the geese, mostly the smaller, 

 young birds, Mere nearly pure white below : others heavily sjiotted or barred with black : 

 nearly all (old and young) show signs of a 'white-front.' " 



