THE ZOOLOGIST 



No. 771. —September, 1905. 



BIBDS NESTING IN ANDALUSIA. 

 By Keg. B. Lodge. 



(Plate V.) 



This season (1905) has been a disastrous one for the birds 

 as well as for the people of Spain, especially in the south of that 

 country. No rain having fallen since October, except two half- 

 days in April, the crops proved a complete failure, causing wide- 

 spread distress and poverty. The effect on the marsh and 

 wading birds can be easily imagined, for as there were no 

 marshes the birds did not put in an appearance, and those few 

 which might be seen did not appear to be nesting. In the 

 Marismas, where in normal years you may see shallow water 

 stretching to the horizon, enlivened with thousands of Flamin- 

 goes, Stilts, Avocets, Pratincoles, the beautiful Southern Herons, 

 and Marsh Terns in myriads, and where I have seen eggs picked 

 up literally by the basketful, there was hardly a drop of water. 

 Over the parched and dried-up mud, baked to a brick-like hard- 

 ness, were a few Kentish Plovers, Bedshanks, and Peewits. We 

 heard of two (!) Flamingoes several miles away, and saw perhaps 

 altogether in about a fortnight some dozen Pratincoles. Bound 

 the half-starved groups of cattle were a few Buff-backed Herons, 

 but their usual nesting place was completely dried up, and 

 Zool. 4th ser. vol. IX., September, 1905. 2 c 



