File:Two months on the Guadalquiver (1899) (14563131899).jpg

Identifier: twomonthsonguada00with (find matches)
Title: Two months on the Guadalquiver
Year: 1899 (1890s)
Authors: Witherby, H. F. (Harry Forbes), 1873-1944
Subjects: Birds
Publisher: (London? : "Knowledge"?
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

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s and other shrubs, some-times growing almost to the size of trees. This part ofthe marismas is near the sea, from which it is protected bymiles of sand dunes. These are increasing so rapidly inheight and breadth that many trees, and even wholewoods, have been covered and eventually stifled to deathby the shifting sand. In riding across these sand hillsone actually passes over the tops of many a tall dead treehidden under the sand, or guides ones horse amongst thetopmost branches of some big pine, which is still livingand fighting the irresistible sand that will eventuallysmother it. The sight of a grove of these trees buried upto their necks in sand and yet still living, is not to beforgotten. We approached this country from the river, and as ourboat neared the shore we noticed that the mud of the river 34 On the Guadalquiver. bank was thickly studded with what looked like smallstones, but no sooner had our boat grounded than all these stones disappeared as if by magic. We landed and
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Fia 12. —Stilts Xest slightly built on Dry Grroimd. found that the mud was bored in every direction withholes, and on going a little distance off and remaining Heeds and Faishes. 35 quiet, the * stones appeared again in thousands, and wesoon diEcovered that they were really small brown crabs.The crabs seldom stray far from their holes, so that it wasby no means easy to catch any of them. If surprisedsuddenly, and not being able to reach his own home, acrab would dart into a neighbours hole, but only to bechased out by the owner, and thus he could be capturedbefore going to ground again. Some curlew- and whim-brelf were running about on the edge of the river at alittle distance away from us, and with our glasses we couldsee that every now and again one of the birds would makea rush, and catching a crab by a leg would drag it fromits retreat. The bird would then walk off with its captiveto the hard ground, and after breaking the crabs shellagainst the stones, as a thrush does a snail,

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