402 



WILD SPAIN. 



and was evidently making good his hold. Then with 

 heavy flight he bore his burden straight towards where 

 we crouched, watching, behind the pony, and settled on the 

 shore. Him we then approached in the customary way, 

 and as the fierce-looking aguilucho stood on his victim, 

 crushing out what remained of life, a charge of No. 4 

 secured both the biter and the bit. 



Harriers are so numerous in the open marisma that four 

 or five may often be seen at once, slowly drifting about 

 over the waste, and marvellous is the speed with which 

 they detect a disabled fowl. With a lively cripple, it is 

 often a race between the human and the feathered raptor 

 for rights of possession, and in flight-shooting the wounded 

 are carried off under one's very eyes. 



After another cabresto -shot, which added ten wigeon to 

 the bag, we reached the broad Arroyo de la Madre, which 

 was "paved" with wildfowl in numbers that we cannot 

 estimate. Mere numerals convey nothing — unless it be a 

 suspicion of exaggeration — and any other attempt would 

 only involve the use of inadmissible superlatives. Suffice 

 to say that for leagues that broad water was a living carpet 

 of birds. We now entrusted our fortunes to the " Boadicea " 

 and her big gun. The boat lay near the junction of a 

 creek with the main channel ; the nearer water was dotted 

 with teal, garganey, and wigeon ; a little further off, the 

 white livery of the shovelers was conspicuous, and beyond 

 again, with the glasses, we could distinguish, among acres 

 of wigeon, a sprinkling of pintails, gadwall, and a few 

 white-eyed pochard and mallard. On the slob-land in 

 front, fed nine spoonbills; a small herd of flamingoes 

 on the left, and near them a grey line of geese, whose 

 sonorous clamour was distinguishable above the medley of 

 bird-notes. Ducks, however, of all kinds are silent enough 

 by day. 



Once more the punt proved a failure. No sooner had 

 she emerged from the cover of the armajos (samphire), 

 than the nearer teal and wigeon began swimming out, 

 scattering away to right and left in lines all radiating 

 from the focus of alarm. Ere anything like fair range 



