Days* Nesting in Andalucia. 81 
marie than those of the other species, and often had a few 
rushes used in their construction ; the eggs are much 
smaller and cannot be mistaken. 
Ardetta minuta. 
The Little Bittern is very common in certain districts. 
We found fresh eggs on May 7th; on the 18th five nests, 
containing five, five_, five, four, and three eggs respectively, 
all fresh. Eour of these nests were on boughs, under the 
sheltering heads of young willows pollarded last year but 
with a fresh growth of a foot or more ; they were surrounded 
by high rushes growing in water four feet deep, and were flat, 
rather like those of the Wood-Pigeon, with some dead rushes 
in them. It was not difficult to see them, as the white eggs 
showed up plainly ; but the wading to them was a hard 
task, owing to the matted rushes in the water. On May 20th 
and May 24th many nests were found in reed-beds on another 
part of the river; upwards of twenty in course of building, 
or containing from one to six eggs, being seen in a single 
morning; these were in high reeds, which were very difficult 
to get through, and were composed of dead rushes placed 
a few feet above the water. Two clutches were much 
incubated. 
BOTAURUS STELLARIS. 
We never saw or heard this bird, though I am told that 
it is common in certain seasons ; two fresh eggs were taken 
on the wet marisma Las Nuevas and brought to me on 
May 15th. 
ClCONIA ALBA. 
One of the most conspicuous birds, common everywhere. 
A regular colony was found in some high trees on April 18th. 
Many nests contained four or five eggs, all slightly incubated. 
Platalea leucorodia. 
Not common. About fourteen pairs were found breeding 
on an island of rushes growing in deepish water ; on 
May 14th several nests contained one e.^^, and one three. 
They were much like those of the Purple Heron, but smaller 
and placed nearer to the water. 
SER. VIII. VOL. II. G 
