Part 36 (2/2)

_Pied Flycatcher_--A ration, April 30

In the stupendous rock-gorges which enclose the lower course and outlet of Monachil (3500-5000 feet) are situate the breeding-places of the few griffon-vultures which inhabit this sierra With thehery” at 4000 feet, while crag-martins and blackchats (not observed elsewhere), with iant crags

While lunching, our goat-herd guide was pointing out rock-crannies where wolves, fro that he could not keep poultry by reason of the marten-cats Suddenly he broke out in shrill and altered tones: ”Tell me, Caballero,” he exclaimed, ”tell me _why_ you come here from lands afar to suffer discoo all these labours--why do you do this?” We endeavoured to explain ”You see, Gregorio, that God created all manner of animals different one from another So also He createdas brothers do You Spanish belong to the Latin race You have many fine qualities, some of which we lack But you rather concern yourselves with ard platonic study We of British race are imbued with desire to learn all that can be traced of Nature and her ways Some examine the earth itself, its formations and transformations; others the birds or the beasts There are those who devote their lives to studying the beetles and ants, even the mosquitoes Now in Spain you find none who are interested in such orio sat silent and seemed impressed; but Caraballo interjected: ”Why waste time? These people are not concerned (_entroorio had appeared interested and intelligent?

”Si! but when folk spent lonely lives ae once or twice a year, then intelligence goes to sleep (_se pone dor away again at the customary small-talk of the by-ways

[Illustration: TYPES OF SPANISH BIRD-LIFE

SPANISH SPARROW (_Passer hispaniolensis_ [_sic_], Temm)

A bird of the oods, never seen in towns; builds in foundations of kites' and eagles' nests Note that Teht be _hispanicus_, or perhaps _hispaniensis_, but _hispaniolensis_ never That adjective must date from a newer era and from a world then unknown]

CHAPTER xxxII

VALENCIA

TWO NOTABLE WILDFOWL RESORTS

(1) THE ALBUFERA

For centuries thiswith the forests and wastes that forhold of wild ani Jado its castles and estates aenerals, selected, with shrewd appreciation, the Albufera for his personal share of the spoils of war For not only did the great lake with its wild appanages for-do between the Grao of Valencia, Cullera, and the lake-shores possessed a fabled fertility

For six centuries the lands and waters of Albufera belonged to the Spanish Crown Though by edict in AD 1250 Ja, however, one-fifth of the catch for royal use), yet both he and succeeding monarchs ever continued to extend and improve the amenities of the Crown Patrimony

In State-papers of Jaame, there are expressly specified: ”Deer, wild-boar, ibex, francolins, partridges, hares, rabbits, otters, and wildfowl, besides the wealth of fish” in the lake itself Again, more than four centuries later, an edict of October 31, 1671, expressly specified aame, ”deer, boar, ibex, and francolin” Now the francolin, although to-day extinct in Spain, is known to have existed on the Mediterranean till quite within ht well have abounded in the wild forests of those days But the specific mention of ibex (_twice_, with an interval of 400 years) appeared inexplicable; for it was inconceivable that a wild-goat should ever have occupied the low-lying _dehesas_ of Albufera The discovery of the actual existence of ibex in the sierras of Valencia, however (as recorded above, p 142), explains the paradox and also throws light on the breadth of -boundaries; since the Sierra Martes lies so about seven miles south-east of Valencia, the lake has a water-area so by six or seven wide, its circuues On the south, it is shut off froreen foliage broken in pleasing contrast by intervals of bare sand, forold amidst dark verdure On all other sides the lie its shores

Its waters, dotted with the white sails of _faluchos_, present the appearance of a small sea, a reseht of the waves

The lake connects by canals with various adjacent villages; while two canals (Perillo and Perillonet) coh their mouths are blocked by locks These locks are closed each year fro the whole of the river-waters from inland, in order to raise the interior water-level and so flood the surrounding rice-fields

This artificial inundation--by disseht down by autureatly extended the area of rice-cultivation, and, of course, equally reduced the original water-surface The result has been, nevertheless, iment the enormous numbers of wildfohich had always made the Albufera their winter home; for no food is so attractive to ducks as rice, while, despite its reduction, the water-area is yet a of fish or foas carried on subject to the regulations of successive kings and their ad, however quaint, do not concern us as natural historians; but two ht on altered conditions and sharpened instincts The first was to ”push” the fowl by a line of boats towards sports co flotilla, when, in each case, large numbers were killed with crossbows To celebrate the nuptials of Phillip III, no less than 300 boats were thus e hosts of quietly paddling ducks to swi channels had been cut, and over which nets were spread

Needless to add, neither method would nowadays serve to outentieth-century wildfowl

By the beginning of last century (about 1830), owing to the destruction of forests and reclaahts of winter wildfowl actually increased in proportion to the extended area of rice

The Albufera continued to be the property of the Crown of Spain from 1250 till May 12, 1865, when the Cortes decreed, and Queen Isabella II

confirmed, its transference to the State

At the present day the shooting on Albufera is conducted on purely commercial and up-to-date principles The whole area is mapped out into sections like a chessboard, and each considerable gun-post (or _replaza_, as it is called) is sold by auction