250 RAMBLES OF A NATURALIST. 



Sea. It could not have been more placid and calm since 

 the last Doge of Venice stood on the deck of his gilded 

 barge and wedded it, amid the plaudits of his nobles by- 

 dropping in a ring. Here and there a few fishing smacks 

 with parti-coloured sails'of various bright hues, and here and 

 there a few stake nets, and a fisherman's house, were all that 

 was to be seen. For a long time I scanned the sandy- 

 shore and the limpid water without being rewarded by the 

 sight of a sea-bird of any kind. At length I perceived a 

 man with a long gun, hiding behind a heap of seaweed, in 

 the hope that a flock of Gulls would come within shot of 

 his ambush. Afterwards two more flocks of Gulls and one 

 Lapwing appeared, and barring Crested Larks nothing else 

 whatever. 



Probably birds are more plentiful in summer, as when 

 returning in June I saw the following from the railway 

 carriacfe, as well as a Manx Shearwater and some Mediter- 

 ranean Herring Gulls, which I observed as we approached 

 the harbour of Brindisi. 



Kestrel 



Swift 



Swallow 



Sparrow (Passer italicc) 



Titlark 



Common Sandpiper 



Little Owl 



Magpie 



Redbacked Shrike 

 Goldfinch 

 House Martin 

 White Wagtail 

 Starling 

 Hooded Crow (2) 



I was rather surprised to see Hooded Crows on the 24th 

 of June, but writers on the ornithology of Italy say they 

 are resident. 



Several instances have come to my knowledge of their 

 being seen in summer near Cromer in Norfolk ; for example 

 last July, one was seen from the 12th to the 27th, and the 

 keeper at Trimingham picked up seven young Pheasants 

 of its killiufj. 



