172 BIRDS IN ESTREMADURA. [PART II. 
ing covert from an adjoining patch of bushes 
with so loud a rustle that I expected at the very 
least to see a Hare make her appearance. Instead 
of this however, to my great surprise, out bolted 
an enormous Lizard, and away he went across 
the open with head and tail well up, really a 
noble looking beast. In length he could not have 
been much under two feet, if he did not exceed 
it, but he was chiefly remarkable for the size 
of his body, which appeared to me to be nearly 
or quite as large round as the thickest part of 
a man’s arm, his head and tail being quite in 
proportion. 
Having mentioned Estremadura, I may en 
passant observe that no part of Europe (and I 
have been over a good part of it) ever struck 
me as abounding with birds generally to such an 
extent as that lovely district, or as affording so 
varied a field for the researches of the Ornitho- 
logist. 
Some years ago I killed in the Isle of Wight 
a black Viper, exactly resembling in colour and 
general appearance the variety figured in Pro- 
fessor Bell’s “ Reptiles.’ Being in covert when I 
came upon him, he availed himself of the cir- 
cumstance to take refuge in a large hollow hazel- 
