Identifier: picturesofbirdli00lodg (find matches)
Title: Pictures of bird life : on woodland meadow, mountain and marsh
Year: 1903 (1900s)
Authors: Lodge, R. B
Subjects: Birds -- Pictorial works
Publisher: London : S. H. Bousfield
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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here is, I nevev saw one : evenin the large towns the streets are bad enough. There is noAvheeled traffic possible from place to place. E\-erything iscarried by pack-mule, or borrico, strings of donkeys beingoften met with in the most out-of-the-way places, laden withgoods ; and all travelling is done on horseback. Our progress, as we plodded along, was sometimes amidthe famihar cries of Lapwings and Redshanks, mingled withthose of stranger birds. A\^e now passed for the first timenumbers of Stilts wading in the shallow water. They allowedus to ride within a few yards, and when they Hew their extra-ordinary long red legs were stretched out straight behind.Pratincoles flew round, looking on the wing like hugeSwallows. Eagles and Kites soared o\er the pine- and cork-trees, and in the more marshy spots we were accompaniedby Black and AMiiskered Terns. Around every group ofcattle and half-wild horses, feeding on the succulent water-plants, and often perched on their backs, were numbers of
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298 Pictures of Bird Life the pretty Buff-backed Herons. They feed on ticks andother insect parasites, from which their Spanish name isderived— Ag-arrapatosos (Tick-eaters). Besides tliese, wesaw plenty of Storks, Ibises, I^ittle Egrets, and PurpleHerons. For the last hour or so of our journey we had seenin front of us o^•er tlie marsh a large white house, sur-rounded by a few trees. This proved to be our destination.The house, like all Spanish houses, is built in a square,enclosing a large open space, or patio. The entrance wasa large arched doorway, high enough and wide enough,when the thick and massive double doors, studded withiron bolts, are tluown ))ack, to allow three mounted mento ride in abreast without stooping. A camp-bed was soonunpacked from the long-suffering mule, and rigged up inan upper room, and the baggage carried up, and presently ahot meal and a wash made things seem comfortable. The house is in an ideal position for ornithological work,on the very edge of tli

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