THROUGH WILD EUROPE 203 



glaze and ripple on the water that I couldn't make 

 out the species with any certainty. Black-headed 

 Gulls, some of which were already acquiring their 

 nuptial plumage, were numerous. 



In the fields near the town were a few birds. 

 Great Tits and Blue Tits were noticeable on account 

 of their bright colours ; compared with our birds 

 they looked positively brilliant. The Robin also 

 was of the same familiar habits as at home. Black- 

 birds, Chaffinches, and Wrens were also seen. White 

 Wagtails were running over the ploughed land and 

 also Yellow Wagtails ; but whether these last were 

 Motacilla flava or rail I am unable now to say. A 

 solitary Magpie was the only one noticed, and in 

 the distance I saw a yellowish-green bird flying 

 which reminded me of Picus viridis ; but the flight 

 was direct and straight, not undulating like a Wood- 

 pecker. It alighted on the top of a tree, where I 

 could see it perched through my glass ; but the 

 distance was too great for me to be able to determine 

 the species. A Woodpecker would have alighted, 

 not at the top, but lower down, nearer the bottom, 

 and worked its way up to the top. If it had been a 

 month later I should have put it down for a female, 

 or young male, Golden Oriole, the plumage of which 

 much resembles at a distance that of the Green 

 Woodpecker. 



This is not a very long or interesting list of Corfu 



