3G 
{Totanus ockropus,) com bunting, {Emherlza miliaria,) partridge, 
[Perdix cinerea.) This last struck me as being very oddly 
speckled. But by far the most characteristic bird of iladrid is 
the reddegged partridge, (Perdix rubra,) which assumes a brilliancy 
it never gets in England, and is much more in request than the 
tasteless sandgrouse. There is a very remarkable melanism of this 
species in the museum of the Koyal Academy. Two specimens 
very similar to it are in the museum at Paris, labelled as having 
been “bought in the market in December, 1859.” Perhaps it is 
a race like that variety of the common partridge which has been 
termed Perdix montana. I was not a little surprised to find in 
the magnificent galleries at Madrid some pictures devoted to 
ornithology. Many interesting species were delineated, but with- 
out much pretension to scientific accuracy. Between the Spanish 
capital and Cadiz, I saw a grey shrike and many large hawks, at 
too great a distance for identification. Between Cadiz and 
Gibraltar, I saw a skua, {Stercorarius mtarrlmctes.) This bold 
bird was swimming about a gunshot from the vessel. 
Gibraltar is rather a good place for birds. It has been surmised 
that many migratory species take advantage of its proximity to 
the African coast, and no shooting is ever allowed on the rock. 
The great tameness of the gulls in the harbour {Larus ridibundus 
and L. marinus?) arises solely from their never being molested. 
From O’Hara’s tower I obtained a view of a pair of BoneUi’s 
eagles, {Aquila bonelli.) One of these magnificent birds perched 
on a rock among the brakes, etc., at no very great distance. It 
exhibited a singular patch of white upon the back. They prey 
upon the rabbits which abound. That handsome species, the blue 
thrush, (Petrocinda cyanea,) is common on the upper parts of the 
rock. Its flight and manner reminded me of our ring ouzel, 
{Turdm iorquatus.) At a distance it looks rather black than blue, 
unless the sun happens to shine upon it. It is not easy to get 
near this shy and solitary bird. 
The gay but common Tithy’s redstart, {RuticiUa tithys,) is much 
tamer. I saw more males than females. As young males as well 
have the grey plumage for at least one year, I could not account for 
it. One of the most attractive birds on the rock is the black 
wheatear, {Dromolea loucura.) It abounds. Hero are the winter 
quarters of some of our common English summer migrants. 
