408 Unexplored Spain 
rhynchus. These “soft parts” are, however, subject to infinite variation, and 
the above definition is a careful deduction from the results of many years’ 
observation.? 
On several occasions we have examined from a dozen to a score of geese 
without finding a single gosling among them. The largest proportion of the 
latter so recorded was on January 29, 1907, when of sixteen geese shot, five (or 
possibly six) were young birds of the year before. All these sixteen showed 
some white feathers on the forehead, and the heaviest pair (two old ganders) 
weighed together 184 lbs. 
As regards their weights, the following notes show the variation :— 
During the severe drought of 1896, six geese weighed on November 26, 
when almost starving for food and water, ranged from 64 to 7$ lbs. A month 
later, when rains had fallen, weights had increased to 84 to 9} lbs. 
December 28, 1899.—The heaviest of 29 scaled 9} lbs. 
January 30, 1905.—The geese this dry season are in fine condition. An 
old gander, shot at Martinazo, exceeded 104 lbs., another pair, shot right and left, 
scaled 94 and 10 lbs. 
February 4, 1907.—Two geese, the heaviest of eleven shot this morning, 
weighed over 9 lbs. each, the pair scaling 184 lbs. It was a severe frost, the 
shallows being covered with ice, and as each goose fell, two bits of solid ice, in 
form as it were a pair of sandals, were found lying alongside it, these having 
been detached by the fall from the feet of the bird. 
1906. November 28.—Two pure white geese observed on Santolalla to-day 
and on subsequent occasions. Though usually seen flying in company with 
packs of normally coloured geese, the white pair always kept together. 
1907. January 25.—After a month’s bitterly cold and dry weather with 
few geese, the wind to-day shifted to east, with heavy rain. All day long 
a continuous entry of geese took place from the south-westward, in frequent 
successive packs—sometimes two or three lots in sight at once. A sense of 
movement was perceptible over the whole marisma. Next morning these 
newcomers were sitting in ranks of thousands by the “new water ” all along the 
verge of the marisma—a wondrous sight. 
NoTES ON SOME WILDFOWL THAT NEST IN SOUTHERN SPAIN 
WILD-DUCKS 
PintaiL (Dajila acuta)—In wet years a considerable number of pintails 
remain to nest in the marismas of Guadalquivir, and by August the broods 
(together with those of garganey, marbled duck, etc.) assemble on the only 
waters that then remain—such as the Lagunas de Santolalla, ete. 
In 1908, a very wet spring, almost as many pintails bred here as mallards, 
and in eight nests observed the maximum number of eggs was nine. They 
1 One such note may be given as an example :— 
“1903, Examined 40 geese shot January 1 and 2. Legs varied from white and pale flesh- 
colour to pale yellowish and pink, adultsall of the lattercolour. Beaks vary from whitish or 
flesh-colour, through yellow, up to bright orange. A few of the geese, mostly the smaller, 
young birds, were nearly pure white below: others heavily spotted or barred with black : 
nearly all (old and young) show signs of a ‘ white-front.’ ” 
