Part 21 (1/2)

The unsyry crust, stony and sun-scorched, obtrudes an al to be clad, save in flints or fragranite Wherever nature is a trifle less austere, a loth of dwarf broom and heliantherass There, beneath the foothills of the wild Montes de Toledo, stretch whole regions where thorn-scrub and broken belts of open wood vividly recall the scenery of equatorial Africa--wethe ”Athi Plains” instead of European lands Evergreen oak and wild-olive replace mimosa and thorny acacia--one al above the grey-green bush

In both cases there is driven ho sense of arid sterility, the same sense of desolation--nay, here eventhat wondrous wild fauna of the other No troops of graceful gazelles bound aside before one's approach; no herds of zebra or antelope adorn the farther veld; no galloping files of shaggy gnus spurn the plain A chance covey of redlegs, a hoopoe or two, the desert-loving wheatears--birds whose presence ever attests sterility--a co the stunted ilex, or a woodchat--that is all oneday's ride

[Illustration: WOODCHAT SHRIKE AND ITS ”SHAMBLES” (Sketched in La Mancha)]

Another feature common to both lands--and one abhorrent to northern eye--is the absence of water, stagnant or current Never the glint of lake or lagoon, far less the joyousburn, rejoice eye or ear in La Mancha

Alas, that to us is denied the synthetic sense! In vain we scan Manchegan thicket for co beauties, for the Naiads and Dryads hich Cervantes' creative spirit peopled the wilderness; no vision of lovely Dorotheas laving ivory limbs of exquisite(but too prosaic) gaze--that may perhaps be explained by the contemporary absence of any such fountains Nor have other lost or love-lorn maidens, Lucindas or Altisidoras from enchanted castle, aided us to add one element of romance to purely faunal studies

Castles, it is true, adorn the heights or crown a distant skyline; nor are Dulcineas of Toboso extinct or even in the _posada_ at Daiht _paseo_ of Ciudad Real or reclined beneath the orange-groves of its _alameda_

[Illustration: DESERT-LOVING WHEATEARS]

We have animadverted upon the absence of water in La Mancha Yet there is no rule but has its exception, and it is, in fact, to the existence of a series ofin bird-life, that this venturesoenesis

In the h 200 miles from the sea and upwards of 2000 feet above its level, nestle the sequestered Lagunas de Dai to many miles of mere and reat river Guadiana, the head-waters being formed by the junction of its nascent streauela

In the confluence of the two rivers mentioned it is the Guadiana that chiefly lends its serpentine course to the foroons, with islands and islets, cane-brakes and shallows overgrown by reeds, sedge, and marsh-plants, all traversed in every direction by open channels (called _trochas_), the whole constituting a complication so extensive that none save experienced boath its labyrinths

Isolated thus, a mere speck of water in the oons of Daimiel constitute not only one of the chief wildfowl resorts of Spain, but possibly of all Europe Upon these waters there occur froame that is known in this Peninsula, while in autuate in nearly all their European varieties Those which are found in the greatest nuany, coinous duck, tufted duck, pochard, and (in great abundance) the red-crested pochard or _Pato colorado_ Coots also frequent the lagoons, but in smaller nuoes and black geese (_Ganzos negros_), whose species we have not been able to identify, sand-grouse of both kinds, sea-gulls, duck-hawks, grebes, and occasionally sorets in their different varieties haunt the shores and the shallows

[Illustration: RED-CRESTED POCHARD (_Fuligula rufila_)]

Lest any far-venturing fowler be induced by this chapter to pack his 12-bore and seek the nearest Cook's office, it should at once be stated that the rights-of-chase (as are all worth having, alike in Spain, Scotland, or England) are in private hands--those of the Sociedad de las Lagunas de Daimiel, a society which at present numbers five members, all of ducal rank, and to one of e are indebted for excellent descriptive notes The lakes are guarded by keepers who have held their posts for generations--the faoons a prereat wildfowl resorts of Europe ures that follow But the lakes, be it remembered, are surrounded by that cultivation afore described--100 h struck du accustomed to study and preach the incredible mobility of bird-life) was that ducks shot at dawn at Dairounds are at Valencia, distant 180 ratory effort, but ht's food-supply, have sped at least 360 miles between dusk and dawn

As autuiven us by the Duke of Arion), so soon as the keepers note the arrival of inco the points which these select for their assee Then with infinite patience, tact, and skill, the utroups which have chosen haunts nearest to points where guns roups are left rigorously alone to act as decoys, while by gentleness and least provocative methods, the keepers induce other bands which have settled in less appropriate positions to unite their forces with the elect Thus within a few days vast multitudes, scattered over wide areas, have been unconsciously concentrated within that ”sphere of influence” where four or five guns may act most efficaciously

The supreme test of the keepers' efficiency is demonstrated when this concentration is lile day's shooting

The night preceding the day fixed for shooting, so soon as the ducks have already quitted the lagoons and spread the cornlands on their accustomed nocturnal excursions in search of food, the posts of the various gunners are prepared This work involves cutting a channel through some islanded patch of reeds situate in the centre of open water The channel is h to adunner shoots, the cut reeds being left to re so soon as the punt has entered

So the sportse (situate on the Isla de los Asnos), each in his punt directing a course to the position he has drawn by lot In the boat, besides guns, cartridges, and loader (should one be taken), are carried thirty or forty decoy-ducks fashi+oned of wood or cork and painted to resemble in form and colour the various species of duck expected at that particular season

Each of these decoys is furnished with a string and leaden weight to act as an anchor A fixed plu blown over or upset

Generally speaking, the sportsman awaits the dawn in the same boat in which he has reached his position, but should shalloater prevent this, either a lighter punt, capable of being carried by hand, or so set out his decoys, and arranged his alorious expectancy the ht of dawn shall set the aquatic world aly they may come, or in bands and battalions--soon the whole arc of heaven is serried withcontinues practically incessant till towards ten o'clock Fro fewer and fewer and at increasing intervals up to noon or thereby, when spoils are collected and the day's sport is over

There are at un-posts, at Daimiel, and that only when ducks are in their fullest numbers

Under such conditions, and when all incidental conditions are favourable, a bag of over 1000 ducks in the day has not infrequently been registered On such occasions it follows that individual guns ather from 200 to 300 ducks apiece

Almost incredible as are the results occasionally obtained under favouring conditions, yet the duck-shooting at Daimiel is nevertheless subject to considerable variation in accordance with the sequence of the season The biggest totals are usually recorded during the months of Septes secured at such periods are apt to run into extraordinary numbers, but with this proviso, that quality is then sometimes inferior to quantity For the chief item at these earlier shoots consists of teal, with only a sprinkling of eon, and shoveler, and, in sos), although game is usually rather less abundant, it is then entirely co the eon, and red-crested pochard, while an almost equal nued

At these earlier _tiradas_ a good gun should be able, with ease, to bring down, say, 400 ducks, although this number dwindles sadly in the pick-up, since but few of those birds will be recovered that fall outside the narrow space of open water around each ”hide” One hly that at least one-fourth are lost For, although each post be surrounded by open water, yetcanes, while even those that fall in the open, if winged and beyond the reach of a second barrel, will inevitably gain the shelter of the covert, and all these are irrecoverable Others, again, carrying on a few yards, may fall dead in open water, but at a distance the precise position of which is difficult to fix by reason of intervening cane-brakes Thus between those that are lost in the above ways and others that may be carried away by the wind or the current (besides les under the fowler's eye but beyond the range of his piece) it is no exaggerated estimate that barely three-fourths of the fallen are ever recovered