MU. C. A. HAMOND ON A SHORT TRIP TO SPAIN. 
705 
my identification of Hoopoes by my very critical midshipman, but 
on this memorable evening, our railway carriage full of dozing 
Spaniards was roused by a sudden shout from us both “ There’s 
a Hoopoe,” and a few minutes later we had a good view of a Bee- 
eater. The side windows of Spanish railway carriages open con- 
veniently for observing birds. 
There were a great many of the tiny Fantail Warblers in the 
grass and bushes near Algeciras, and even in the hotel garden. 
Our son rejoined the “ London,” and we had a view of twelve huge 
battleships moving out in line on their way to Lagos for the 
Atlantic manoeuvres. 
One day my wife and 1 walked up to the signal station at the 
top of the Rock of Gibraltar and saw a curious effect of glimpses of 
the Mediterranean, Spain, and Africa through rifts in the stream 
of cloud accompanying the Levanter, and also a fine view of some 
handsome Blackchats, which were sitting on the steep cliff facing 
the Mediterranean. 
On our last evening in Spain we drove towards Tarifa, sketched 
the Straits and African coast, and noticed no less than thirty lesser 
Kestrels sitting on the telegraph wires in a flock, probably gorged 
with the numbers of Crickets and Locusts which rose like small 
birds at every step one took off the road. 
