102 BU88ET-NEGKED NIOHTJAB. 



en Algunas provincias de Andalucia^ Sevilla, 1851," says of this bird, 

 — "It inhabits the woody flat ground of the mountains j it appears in 

 spring, and leaves again in October: very common. It has no nest, 

 but places its eggs in hollows in the ground, or under the shelter of 

 some shrub. It frequents the roads where there is much horse or 

 mule traffic, and the vulgar notion is that it feeds upon the dung 

 which it finds there; but it is much more probable that it is in search 

 of the beetles which live among it, and which are its principal food." 



In Spain, the capture or occurrence of this bird is recorded several 

 times by Lord Lilford (Ibis, 1866, pp. 180 and o79.) It is readily, 

 he informs us, distinguished from C. europmus, by its size and the 

 general lighter colour. 



Mr. Howard Saunders, (Ibis, 1871, p. 67,) writes of this bird in 

 Southern Spain: — "Arrives in May, and is always to be found in the 

 pine woods near Seville. The eggs, two in number, are as a rule a 

 a trifle larger than those of the preceding species (europcBUS ; J but 

 they vary so much that unidentified specimens are valueless. This 

 species enjoys the same evil reputation for sucking the teats of goats 

 and cows; but I never yet found a Spanish peasant who was idiot 

 enough to class it with the Hawks as many of our English gamekeepers 

 do its congener." 



In the same volume of the " Ibis," Mr. J. H. Gurney, Junr., in his 

 paper on the "Ornithology of Algeria" p. 73, remarks of this bird: — 

 "On the 8th. of April at Guelt el Stel I saw three birds, which I 

 suppose were of this species. They were evidently preying upon 

 young locusts, with which the ground was so perfectly covered in 

 places as to be black at a little distance. I saw them (apparently) 

 pick up several insects from the ground. The previous evening a 

 specimen had been given me at Air el Ibel, where the coach stopped. 

 A sportsman brought it in alive, remarking that it was the only thing 

 he had shot." 



In the "Ibis" for 1873, Mr. F. Du Cane Gadman, in his paper 

 on the "Migratory Birds of Madeira and the Canaries," p. 169, remarks: 

 — " C. ruficoUis, mentioned by Webb and Berthelot, as of accidental 

 occurrence, though BoUe seems to consider it a regular summer visitant. 

 The latter observer says it breeds in Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, 

 and therefore ought to be included among the recognized birds of the 

 Canaries. It is probable it does not extend to the western islands. 

 I did not see it myself. Vernon Harcourt, on the authority of Mr. 

 Hinter, gives C europceus as an occasional straggler in Madeira." 



Mr. Savile Reid, from whom I have the eggs, informs me that it is 

 the commoner of the two Goatsuckers at Gibraltar. 



