Wild Spain Part 31

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE ELEVEN-POINTER.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: A FIFTEEN-POINTER.]

As a sequel to the above, it may be interesting to annex the following diploma of the "Royal and distinguished Order of Mae Corra," conferred upon the writer shortly after the events narrated. Our readers may translate it or leave it at their own risk.

Por cuanto Don A---- B---- C----, vecino de Inglaterra ha hecho digno del distintivo que usan los cazadores de la Real y Distinguida Orden de la Mae Corra, matando por primera vez un venado de nueve puntas en la Mancha de Cerro del Trigo Coto de D Ana partido de la Marismilla termino de Almonte el 12 de Enero, 1878.

Yo D. Carlos Fernandez Brescaglia, Decano de los cazadores de esta ciudad suficientemente autorizado expido el presente Diploma para que el referido Don A---- B---- C---- pueda usar libremente el mencionado distintivo que debe ser en un todo conforme al modelo adjunto.

Dado en San Lucar de Barrameda el 17 de Enero de 1878.

El Decano, (Signed) CARLOS FERNANDEZ BRESCAGLIA.

El Secretario, (Signed) DOMINGO L. DE VILLEGAS.

The insignia referred to represent a couple of stags' antlers, locked in mortal combat, with the legend:--

"Ab istis ventis liberet te Deus si maritus es."

[Ill.u.s.tration: "DROPPED IN HIS TRACKS."]

CHAPTER x.x.xVII.

WINTER IN THE MARSHES.

SNIPE-SHOOTING.

Spanish, _Agachona_, _agachadiza_.

Portuguese, _Narceja_.

The Peninsula has always been famous for its snipe-shooting, but the sport differs in some ways from that practised on British marsh or moor.

The snipe in Spain does not, as a rule, frequent rushes or other covert.

The Spanish marshes in winter afford scant covert of any kind; hence the snipe is proportionately wilder. Rarely does the long-bill spring at close range: the bulk of the bag must be cut down at such distances that a snipe-shooter at home would very probably decline the offer--without thanks. But there are exceptions to this. In certain localities, particularly in Portugal, we have enjoyed excellent snipe-shooting on wide-spread expanses of rushy marsh and under home conditions. The rice-stubbles also, in districts where rice is grown, afford perhaps the finest snipe-shooting, often with abundant covert.

Many of the best snipe-grounds, however, may be described as inundated pastures. Here the summer-scorched herbage barely hides the naked earth--or rather fine mud, more slippery than ice. The ground here, however, is firm; the _deep-mud_ bogs are quite another, but equally favourite resort. Before one's view there stretches away what appears to be a verdant meadow, dead level, and clad in rich green gra.s.s. Walk out on it, and you find it is bog, soft as pulp--millions of flat-topped, quivering tussocks, each separated by narrow intervals of squashy slime, knee-deep if you are lucky; the tussocks afford no foothold, the slime no stability--you cannot stand still, yet hardly dare advance.

Before you, behind you, to the right and left, rise snipe in scores--in clouds: the air resounds with petulant, tantalizing cries. But you cannot steady yourself for an instant to shoot: to halt on hummock or balance on mire is equally impossible--not that it matters much, for hardly a snipe has sprung within fifty yards; the majority at over one hundred. At length one rises close at hand--a jack, probably--and in a supreme effort to avenge outraged dignity by his death, equilibrium is hopelessly lost, and the snipe-shooter slowly sinks to a sitting posture amidst mire and mud that reaches to his waistcoat-pockets.

So extremely flat and naked are these marshes that not a snipe, one would imagine, could manage to hide thereon. Yet even with a powerful field-gla.s.s not a single snipe can be detected where hundreds are squatting. Their power of concealment is marvellous, and is recognized in the Spanish name, "_agachar_" meaning to hide, or "lie low."

Where the flight of the birds is known, or where two or three well-frequented marshes lie adjacent, excellent sport may be had by lying in wait at one bog whilst the others are being shot over. This is a matter of local knowledge. A driven snipe, or string of snipes, high overhead, or a jack pitching in to alight, like a b.u.t.terfly in a breeze, offer shots as varied and difficult as even our modern masters of legerdemain in the arts of gunnery can well desire.

Broadly speaking, all the best snipe-grounds in accessible districts--aye, and some fairly inaccessible ones too--may be said to be preserved. There may, probably do, exist unknown and unpreserved spots which would abundantly reward the explorer; but, in a general way, the casual sportsman on the unpreserved wilds of Spain or Portugal should not reckon on more than ten, twelve, or perhaps fifteen brace of snipe per day. On preserved grounds, the following figures, selected at random from records of over twenty years, will best show the sport that may be had with snipe in Southern Spain:--

_Nov. 20, 1873._--Catalana (3 guns), 166 snipe, 1 pigeon, 10 quail, 1 landrail = 178 head.

_Nov. 30, 1873._--Catalana (2 guns), 115 snipe, 2 woodc.o.c.k, 3 rails, 1 waterhen, 1 bittern = 122 head.

_Dec. 21, 1873._--El Torno (3 guns), 108 snipe, 17 woodc.o.c.k, 3 rabbits, 8 golden plover, 2 pigeons, 1 badger = 139 head.

_Dec. 20, 1874._--Retuerta (4 guns), 160 snipe, 36 duck and teal, a marsh-harrier, and 8 sundries = 205 head.

_Nov. 18, 1877._--Retuerta (3 guns, half day), 103 snipe, 4 quail, 2 partridge, 6 ducks, 1 goose, 2 rails, 1 eagle = 119 head.

_Nov. 19, 1882._--(3 guns), 155 snipe, 28 sundries.

_Dec. 1886._--(1 gun), 96 snipe: 20 couple shot pa.s.sing over one spot, from one marsh to another.

_Dec. 4, 1889._--Rocina (6 guns), 232 snipe, besides partridge, quail, duck, &c.

_Dec. 12, 1889._--Retuerta (2 guns, W. E. Brymer and W. J. B.), 60 snipe, 58 ducks, 11 geese = 129 head.

WOODc.o.c.k.

Spanish, _Chocha_--(Andalucia) _Gallineta_.

Arrives in November, but never in any quant.i.ties--ten or twelve couple in a day is an unusual bag, and we have none worth recording.

The latest woodc.o.c.ks shot in Andalucia are about the middle of March.

QUAILS.

Spanish, _Codorniz_.

Though not strictly marsh-birds, yet quails at times abound among the moist rushy prairies, both of Spain and Portugal, and hardly a hillock of drier ground or microscopic patch of maize-stubble but will yield a brace or two.

The largest bag we can find recorded in our game-books is 52 brace in a day; but believe this has been, and certainly easily might be, largely exceeded. At certain pa.s.sage-periods the Andalucian _vegas_ simply swarm with this das.h.i.+ng little game-bird, and at such times, with dogs well entered to quail, very large bags might be secured by any one specially following them.

One afternoon, when returning from snipe-shooting, we fell in with an _entrada_ of quail, in a belt of dry rush and sedges, and had bagged 27-1/2 couples in much less than an hour, when daylight and cartridges ran short.

ANDALUCIAN QUAIL.--Unlike its larger relative, this small quail is not migratory; a few are found at all seasons, especially on the dry palmetto-plains, where at dusk its curious "roaring" note, from which is derived its Spanish name _torillo_ = little bull, is often audible.

Our friend, Mr. W. R. Teage, meets with a few of this small bush-quail nearly every year when shooting near Ovar, in Portugal--generally in September.

THE CRANE.

Spanish, _Grulla_.

He who eats the flesh of crane, runs a Spanish proverb, lives a hundred years[77]--and beyond all question the stately _Grulla_ is one of the wariest and most difficult birds to circ.u.mvent.