804 The Zoologist— July, 1807. 



a belt of trees on the banks of the Tagus, some distance from the 

 railway station. On our way we were stopped by one of the Royal 

 keepers, who, however, on recognizing Manuel, apologized for stopping 

 ns, and, hearing on what errand we were, accompanied us for some 

 distance. He told me that he had seen many great spotted cuckoos 

 (Cuculus glandarius), and had already found some of their eggs in a 

 magpie's nest, some miles distant from where we then were. 1 told him 

 I would purchase any eggs he could procure for me ; and he left us to 

 seek for some, promising to meet me at the station in the evening if he 

 could possibly get back in time. 



On our way to the grove we saw not a few bee-eaters and some gold- 

 finches, but nothing else. On entering the thicket wc noticed several 

 Sylvia Cettii and a Sylvia Bonellii, and found two or three colonies of 

 Passer hispaniolensis. These sparrows build their nests on the outer 

 branches of the highest trees, quite out of the reach of any stray egg- 

 collector who might take a fancy to their contents. In some trees I 

 counted ten or a dozen of their nests, all built of light-coloured grasses 

 and the cotton of the white elm tree. Here seemed to be the very 

 place for a naturalist; for he would certainly find no lack of 

 specimens, and no small variety. We saw several black kites, common 

 kites and a buzzard, before we had walked any great distance, and on 

 pressing through the underwood flushed a pair of scops owls, who, 

 after taking a good look at us from an old dead tree, flew noiselessly 

 into a gloomy-looking thicket. 



Manuel look me to the nest of Aquila pennata from which Lord 

 Lilford procured his first eggs of this bird ; but as it showed no signs 

 of being tenanted we did not attempt to climb the tree. Not far 

 distant from this tree we found a nest of the black kite {Mi/rus 

 migrans), from which we scared the bird, and therefore had reason to 

 suppose that it contained something, probably eggs. However, the 

 tree was one which promised such an amount of hard work that 

 neither of us considered a couple of eggs of Milvus migrans a sufficient 

 inducement to attempt to climb it. We therefore proceeded to force 

 our way through the rank undergrowth, keeping a good look-out for 

 nests, and before long were rewarded by seeing a large nest which 

 Manuel thought looked like that of a booted eagle. I carried only a 

 walking-stick gun, for the benefit of the warblers, sparrows, &c. ; so 

 Manuel posted himself close to the tree with his gun cocked, and I 

 proceeded to kick the tree by way of giving the tenant of the nest 

 notice to quit. I had not to kick long ; for the next moment a large 



