Spanish: _Melon_.
Common in the southern provinces, and as far north as the Sierra de Gredos (Old Castile). Ichneumons feed largely on snakes and other reptiles. They seldom offer a shot in the open, clinging tenaciously to the thickest covert, and are more often taken alive--either dug out of their burrows or caught by the dogs--than shot.
Among minor quadrupeds may be mentioned the hedgehog (_Erizo_), the mole (_Topo_), the shrew (_Musarana_), squirrel (_Ardilla_), water-rat (_Rata de agua_), with the usual family-group of rats and mice. One particularly interesting species, the trumpeter water-shrew (_Mygale pyrenaica_), is found in the rivers of Guipuzcoa, Navarre, and, _fide_ our friend Manuel de la Torre, in the Rio de Piedra, Provincia de Zaragoza.
The dormouse (_Liron_), and fat dormouse (_Liron campestre_), are both common in Andalucia.
The Spanish hare (_Lepus mediterraneus_), and rabbit require no further remark.
PART II.
SPRING-MIGRANTS TO SPAIN.
WITH DATES OF ARRIVAL, ETC., IN ANDALUCIA.
In the following list we endeavour to indicate the closest possible point of time for the arrival, nesting, and departure of spring-migrants to Spain, the dates especially referring to Andalucia. But since the pa.s.sage of almost each species, though in many cases punctual to a day or two in commencing, continues during three or four weeks--and in some instances over much longer periods--it is only possible to approximate.
Thus there is a distinct arrival of Swallows in February (early in March many already have eggs), yet the "through-transit" of vast bodies--destined perhaps to populate Lapland and Siberia--is conspicuous throughout April, and even into May.
In compiling these lists the recorded observations of other naturalists have been freely utilized, especially the papers of Lord Lilford and Mr.
Howard Saunders in the _Ibis_, and Col. Irby"s "Ornithology of the Straits of Gibraltar." In ornithological matters the writer has a weakness for _dates_,[79] and the last-mentioned work fairly bristles with these valuable facts. For five springs its author maintained a careful watch on the Straits, and during those years hardly a movement of feathered fowl betwixt the Pillars of Hercules could escape his vigilance.
LIST OF SPRING-MIGRANTS.
---------------+--------------+-----------+--------------+------------------Arrives.Nests.Departs.Remarks.
---------------+--------------+-----------+--------------+------------------EgyptianVultureEnd Feb.-Mar.April 1-10Sept.Montagu"sHarrierEnd Mar.May 1-10Sept.Booted EagleMar. 25April 10Sept. }A few winter Serpent EagleMar. 8April 15Oct. }near Malaga.
Black KiteMar. 10April 30Sept.-Oct.Honey BuzzardEnd April-MayNone breedSept. 17, "92In transit only.
HobbyAprilSept.do.
Lesser KestrelEnd Feb.-Mar.April 25Sept.-Oct.Some winter.
Scop"s OwlMid-Mar.May 10Sept.-Oct.do.
R. N. NightjarMay 1May 25Sept.-Oct.SwiftMar.-AprilMaySept.-Oct.Pallid SwiftEnd Mar.-Aprildo.Alpine SwiftMar. 25-Apl.do.Aug.-Sept.RollerEnd Mar.-AprilApril 15Sept.Bee-EaterEnd Mar.-AprilMay 15July-Aug.HoopoeEnd Feb.-AprilMay 1Aug.-Oct.CuckooMar. 25-AprilApril 23July-Aug.Spotted CuckooFeb. 28-Mar.April 15July-Aug.WryneckMarchSept.Breeds in Castile.
Ring-Ouzel{%}FewMar.-Aprilbreed{%}AutumnTransit.{%} Rock-ThrushEnd Mar.-May26 Sept., "68Apl.--early(Arragon)(Irby)WheatearMar. 1-AprilNone breedOct.-Nov.In transit.
Eared WheatearMar. 30-AprilMay 10, "71AutumnRussetWheatearMar. 30-AprilMay 12, "71do.WhinchatApril 10, "83None breedSept.Transit only.
NightingaleApril 8-15May 7, "83Aug.-SeptRedstart{%}Mar. 25-AprilNone breedSept.-Oct.Transit.
Garden WarblerMid-AprilMay 10Oct.OrpheanWarblerMid-AprilMay 15Sept.WhitethroatApril 10-20May 12Sept.-Oct.SpectacledWarblerMar. 10 (Irby)Sub-alpineWarblerMarch (end)May (early)Oct.Bonelli"sWarblerApril-earlySept.Wood-WrenApril 25May 25Oct.Scarce.
Willow-WrenMarchApril 10Many resident.
ChiffchaffApril 20do.
YellowWillow-WrenApril (end)May 20Aug.-Sept.W. Pallid do.May 1June 10Aug.-Sept.RufousWarblerMay 1May 28Sept.Savi"sWarbler.March (?)May 4Aug. (Irby)Rare and local.
Great SedgeWarblerAprilMay 28Reed-WarblerEnd MarchMay 5PiedNoneFlycatcher{%%}April 8-30breed[A]Oct. 1-17Spotted do.May 10May 25Aug.-Sept.In transit.
SwallowMid-Feb. toMayMar.-AprilSept.-Oct.A few in winter.
MartinFebruarySept.-Oct.Sand-MartinFeb.-Mar.May (H. S.)Oct.A few all winter.
Crag-MartinFeb.-Mar.April-MayOct.-Nov.Many in winter.
WoodchatMar.-AprilMay 10Sept.-Oct.G. H. Wagtail.Feb.-Mar.April 25Aug.-Sept.Tree PipitMar.-AprilNone breedOct.-Nov.In transit.
Tawny PipitAprilAug.Some breed, H. S.
Short-toed LarkMid-MarchApril 20Aug.-Sept._C.Batica_{%%}?May 9?(Unknown).
Cirl-BuntingMar.April 12Oct.-Nov.Many resident.
OrtolanAprilMay 5Sept.SerinFebruaryMay 10Oct.-Nov.Golden OrioleApril 15-20May 20Aug.-Sept.SpotlessStarlingMarchApril 23Sept.Turtle-DoveApril-endSept. (end)MayMayOct.QuailMar.-AprilMaySept. 15-30LandrailFeb.-Mar.None breedOct.Many winter.
PurpleGallinuleFebruaryApril 25Oct.Many resident.
Stone-CurlewMar.-AprilApril 20Oct.-Nov.Many resident.
PratincoleApril 8-20May 12Sept.Grey PloverMayNone breedNov.On pa.s.sage only.
Kentish Plover.MarchApril 15Many winter.
Lesser RingPloverMid-MarchMay 10CommonNoneSandpiper{%%%}April 15breed{%%%}Aug.-Sept.CurlewSandpiper{$}MayNone breedTransit.
KnotMay 1-10do.do.
Wood-SandpiperApril-Maydo.do.
GreenshankApril-Maydo.Sept.-Oct.A few winter.
Black-tailedG.o.dwitFeb.-Mar.do.Bar-tailed do.Maydo.Sept.RuffApril-Maydo.Aug.-Sept.Many winter.
Great SnipeApril-Maydo.Sept.-Oct.WhimbrelMaydo.Sept.-Oct.Slender-billedCurlewSpringdo.AutumnA few winter.
Purple HeronMarch 20April 10Sept.Little EgretApril-earlyJune 8Oct.-Nov.Buff-backedHeronMar.-Aprildo.Squacco do.April 20do.Little BitternApril-enddo.Sept.Night HeronApril-endMay 20Glossy IbisApril 20May 28SpoonbillApril 10May (early)Observed in(Irby)winter.
CraneFeb.-Mar.April 25Oct.Many winter.
DemoiselleCraneMar.-AprilAug.StorkJan.-Feb.March (end)Sept.Many winter.
Black StorkFeb. to MayMayNov.Marbled Duck.AprilMay (end)Sept.GarganeyFeb.-Mar.do.Sept.Very irregular.
Nyroca PochardFeb.-Mar.May 20Oct.-Nov.White-facedDuckMar.-April.May 20Oct.-Nov.Gull-billedTernApril 8May 25Lesser TernApril 13May 25Oct. 25 (Irby)WhiskeredTernApril 10May 20Aug. (Favier)Black TernMay 1May 30Sept.-Oct.(Favier)---------------+--------------+-----------+--------------+------------------
{%} Some Ring-Ouzels nest in Sierra Nevada--eggs received from Colmenar by H. S.--possibly also some Redstarts.
{%%} Pied Flycatcher believed to breed in Castile (H. S.). _C. Batica_ is perhaps resident.
{%%%} The Sandpiper breeds in Castile and in Portugal, and a few pairs may possibly do so in Andalucia. The main transit occurs about April 15, coinciding with their arrival on the North British moorlands.
{$} Many other congeneric species of the Plover and Sandpiper cla.s.s, such as Sanderling, Little and Temminck"s Stints, Purple Sandpiper, &c., might also be included, pa.s.sing north through Andalucia in millions at the same period; but many individuals also spend the autumn and winter there.
PART III.
SPRING-NOTES IN NAVARRE.
BY ALFRED CRAWHALL CHAPMAN.
The breeding-season in Navarre, owing probably to the high mean alt.i.tude of that province, appears to be relatively later than in other districts of similar lat.i.tude. In mid-April (1891) at St. Jean de Luz and Irun, we luxuriated in warm sunshine and the shade of leafy trees; but at Alsasua, on the afternoon of the 15th, we found ourselves transported to a region as cold and bleak as Northumbria, while at Pamplona, though the sun shone gratefully, his warmth was marred by a biting wind.
A parched-looking, sterile country separates the capital of Navarre from Burguete, a small village on the Spanish slope of the Pyrenees just under the Roncesvalles Pa.s.s, whither we were bound. Outside Pamplona, a single polyglot, or icterine warbler was observed, together with the following other species:--redstarts, tree-pipits, woodchats, ortolans, goldfinch, linnets, yellow-hammers, and chaffinches; and on the road to Burguete were added:--griffon vultures--doubtless from Yrurzun--Bonelli"s eagle, red kites, one marsh-harrier, hoopoes, black redstarts, white wagtails, bluethroat (white-spotted form), robin, willow-wren, swallow, ring-ouzel, stonechat, wheatear, calandra lark, buzzard, kestrel, and grey partridge.
At Burguete, between April 17th and 21st, of raptores observed, with the exception of occasional kites, the buzzard was the commonest hawk, and already had eggs. Tawny owls had feathered young, but, beyond house-martins breeding in the crags, no other species appeared to have commenced to nest. In the beech woods around Burguete six species of t.i.ts were common, viz., the oxeye, blue, cole, marsh, long-tailed and crested. The last-named has a pretty rippling note, quite unique in its way. Nuthatches were numerous and clamorous, and green woodp.e.c.k.e.rs (?
sp.) were noted. Amongst the box-scrub, fire-crests were common, with dippers and sandpipers on the streams; while, scattered about in the woods and hills, we came across wryneck, wren, white and yellow wagtails, pied and spotted flycatchers, turtle-and stock-doves, serin, gold-and bull-finches and carrion-crow. Above the Roncesvalles convent on April 20th, in a grey mist and drizzling rain, numbers of golden orioles, tree-pipits, skylarks, swallows, stock-doves and other common birds were picking their way northwards on migration; and a single spectacled warbler was obtained. This species has very active, sprightly movements, and a robin-like gait when hopping on the ground.
On April 21st we journeyed, _via_ Orbaiceta, to a forest-guard"s house in the great Iraty forest, observing _en route_ grey wagtails and choughs, Egyptian vultures and ravens, the latter nesting. The change from the beech woods of Burguete to the endless spruce-fir forests of Iraty proved disappointing. Doubtless _Picus martius_ breeds here, for we saw woodp.e.c.k.e.rs" holes which, from their size, could belong to no other species; but not a sight either of this bird or of the nutcracker rewarded our careful search. Bonelli"s warbler, with its rather shrill, monosyllabic note, abounded wherever the nature of the ground suited its habits, but had not yet paired; nor could we ascertain that any other species were yet breeding. The hedge-sparrow here was of a noticeably paler cast of plumage than at home--perhaps explained by the alt.i.tude; while at Burguete, the chaffinches were visibly brighter in colour, and we also detected a striking difference in the song of yellow-hammer and some other species, as compared with English birds--possibly the mysterious beginnings of evolution. On the way back to Burguete, a sedge-warbler and a lovely specimen of the wall-creeper--the only one we saw--were obtained.
During our six days" absence, a considerable influx of migrants had occurred at Burguete, as evidenced by increased numbers of pied flycatchers (mostly males), woodchats and black redstarts. Blue-headed wagtails (_M. neglecta_) were running on the gra.s.s about the horses"
feet, and, though the bird has been given specific rank, reminded me strongly of _M. cinereocapilla_, which I knew well in Lapland in 1884.
During a two hours" ramble before breakfast on April 25th, just before leaving for home, the following were observed:--sparrow-hawk, a pair of snipe, magpies and jays, one heron, a pale blue harrier and a golden eagle.