Birds. 1959 



I determined, if no more important occupation offered, to amuse myself by acquiring 

 what information I could on the ornithology of Andalucia. And having so amused 

 myself during my daily walks for six months or more, I will give the readers of your 

 pages the benefit of my observations. My observations, I repeat, for be it known unto 

 you that whatever I have learned has been almost exclusively from personal observa- 

 tion ; scarcely a word of information to be relied on could I obtain from Spaniards. 

 The very sportsmen, who lived by their gun, confounded half a dozen species under 

 one name. For instance, all the duck tribe, however widely differing in size or plu- 

 mage, were 'pates.' This is to be accounted for by the fact that in Spain birds are es- 

 timated exclusively by size ; all distinctions between tough and tender, well and ill- 

 flavoured are merged in the cocino ; and a woodcock upon table is known not to be a 

 sparrowhawk only by the length of his bill, — one will fetch as much as the other in the 

 market. The flamingo (in the estimation of a Spaniard) is equally good with the 

 goose or the bustard. I have seen upon table, and partaken of, the kestrel, gray 

 shrike, hoopoe, starling, &c. ; and had I not curiously examined heads and legs, should 

 not have suspected what I was eating. 



I had fully anticipated meeting in Spain with some of our rarer birds, and was not 

 disappointed. To these my attention was chiefly directed. Had circumstances per- 

 mitted of my making excursions into the wild country, especially around Seville, I 

 should, doubtless, have fallen in with more species, and my account of those I did 

 meet with would have been less bald. Such as it is, however, I proceed to give 

 it you. 



The Egyptian Vulture {Neophron percnopteiits), I saw in pairs, usually on the 

 coast, but sometimes inland, in the neighbourhood of Malaga. It was not numerous, 

 and did not make its appearance till March ; I presume it breeds in Spain, but could 

 not learn. There was a tame neophron, kept at the public slaughter-house at Malaga, 

 which seemed to fear neither biped nor quadruped. I had a fancy for bringing this 

 bird home, and commissioned a young fellow-countryman to strike a bargain for me ; 

 but I presume the owner thereof was unwilling to part with it, as T heard nothing from 

 my juvenile agent. 



The Golden Eagle (Falco chrysa'etos) seemed to be numerous in the mountainous 

 districts between Malaga and Granada. On one occasion there were two pairs 

 in sight at one time. I am certain of the species ; for one bird approached within 

 sixty yards. 



The Osprey {Falco halieeetos) I saw occasionally in the neighbourhood of Malaga in 

 the month of March. 



The Peregrine Falcon {Falco peregrinus) I saw but once, and that on the banks of 

 the Guadalquivir, November 12th. 



The Little Owl {Strix passerina) frequented the olive orchards around Seville 

 throughout the winter. I have called this bird the little owl, because a friend whom I 

 left at Seville, tells me that after I was gone he obtained Strix passerina, and that it 

 became very plentiful close to Seville ; identifying it with the bird we had seen during 

 the winter in the olive orchards. I think, however, he was mistaken ; and that the 

 little fellow we used to see was the scops eared owl {Strix scops). I did not succeed 

 in obtaining a specimen : for though this little owl is described as " strictly noc- 

 turnal," I found it too " wide awake " in the daytime to allow me to get a fail shot. 

 I one day saw as many as seven or eight in the same olive orchard. When first dis- 

 turbed it would fly out of the olive tree in exactly the opposite side to that on which I 



