Spring-time in the Marismas 387 
Lacuna DE LAS TERaJEs, May 8.—A lonely lagoon hidden 
away in a saucer-shaped basin amidst sequestered downs; almost 
the entire extent (twenty acres) choked with dense cane-brakes 
and thick green reeds which stood six or eight feet above water. 
We had driven hither, nine miles, across sandy heaths and pine- 
wood; and while breakfasting on the shore our two canoes 
(carted here yesterday) were got afloat. Meanwhile, on a patch of 
open water we had observed several white-faced ducks swimming, 
deeply immersed, and with their long stiff tails cocked upright 
at intervals, together with some eared grebes; while marsh- 
harriers slowly quartered the brakes and the reed-beds rang with 
the harsh nasal notes of the great sedge-warbler. On pushing 
WHITE-FACED DUCK (Erismatura leucocephala). See also p. 28. 
out into the aquatic jungle ahead—no light labour with five feet 
of water encumbered with densely matted canes and the dead 
tangle of former growths—we soon fell in with nests of all the 
species above mentioned and several more. Those of the white- 
faced ducks consisted, first, of a big floating platform of broken 
canes, upon which was piled a mass of fine dried “ duck-weed ”— 
the coots’ nests being formed of flags and reeds alone. None of 
the ducks’ nests contained eggs; probably the season was too 
early (in other years we have found their great white eggs, 
rough-grained, about the third week in May), but possibly the 
harriers had forestalled us, as we found one egg floating along- 
side. The grebes were just beginning to lay ; their nests, com- 
posed of rotten floatage, all awash and malodorous, containing 
one to three eggs. Next we found two nests of marsh-harriers, 
immense masses of dead flags, two feet high, supported on floating 
