26 RAMBLES OF A NATURALIST. 



February },rd. Bought a cock Sandgrouse (Pterocles 

 arenariiis, Pall.) at the poulterer's, killed at Aumale, and 

 went to the " Exposition," which is in one of the arches 

 below the " Place du Government." M. Loche's birds are 

 nicely set up and arranged, but the space devoted to them 

 is not very large. The rest of his collection of skins is now 

 dispersed. I saw his eggs at No. 9, Rue Marine, which are 

 very good indeed. There were several drawers of duplicates. 



February 6th. Observed a curious pale-coloured variety 

 of the Robin in the market, and also a slightly pied Black- 

 bird. A short time ago I read of a single taxidermist 

 having twenty-nine pied Blackbirds to stuff in about a 

 twelvemonth in Ireland. Surely they are as common there 

 as pied Ring Ouzels are in Alsace and Lorraine. I have 

 never had more than one or two since I began to collect 

 birds. 



February jth, Sunday. Attended service in one of the 

 arches beneath the " Boulevards." The large congregation 

 showed how much need there was for the English Protestant 

 Church, a site for which had been found not far from the 

 Eastern gate, and which was already near completion. I 

 began the new week at Blida, so famed for its delicious 

 oranges, which are exported to Paris where one may see 

 " Blida oranges " advertised in the shop windows. Among 

 its scented groves I daily sauntered, and found the same 

 choristers which we have at home. The familiar garden 

 Thrush was quite common, and so were Redbreasts. Willow 

 Wrens and tuneful Blackcaps seemed to abound every- 

 where. Starlings, Titlarks, and Linnets were in some num- 

 bers, and the sprightly Blackbird was not uncommon. But 

 most beautiful of all were the Buff-backed Herons ; perched 

 on the backs of cattle, they stand like alabaster images, and 

 no herdsman but gladly makes them welcome. Here I 

 shot the rare Dipper, or Pale -backed Water Ouzel, des- 

 cribed by Dr. Tristram as Ciuclus minor (Ibis, 1870, p. 496,) 



