278 M. Menzbier on the Birds of European 



XXXIII. — On the Geographical Distribution of Birds in 

 European Russia north of the Caucasus. — Part I. Rapaces 

 Diurnae. By M. Menzbier. 



In tlie beginning of the year 1882 1 published in Russian the 

 first part of my work entitled ' Ornithological Geography of 

 European Russia/ wherein I described the distribution of the 

 Birds of Prey throughout European Russia. I wished to 

 demonstrate clearly the limits of the distribution of the dif- 

 ferent species of birds in that country^ and to show the con- 

 nexion between the ornithological fauna of European Russia 

 and that of the Palsearctic Region. My preliminary notes on 

 that subject I have already given in the beginning of my 

 work, and also in my article entitled " Revue comparative 

 de la faune ornithologique des gouvernements de Moscou et 

 de Toula/' but I will give a more detailed account in the 

 concluding chapters of my ' Ornithological Geography.'' 



I wish here to acknowledge my great obligations to Mr. 

 Severtzov, who kindly placed at my disposal his entire orni- 

 thological collection and manuscripts on these subjects. I 

 also take this opportunity of offering my sincere thanks to 

 others of my fellow- labourers in ornithological science, espe- 

 cially Mr. Pleske, Mr. Alferaki, and Mr. Djakov, to whom I 

 am greatly indebted. 



Neophron percnopterus. 



The Egyptian Vulture is a very rare and local bird in 

 Russia. It breeds in the Crimea, where a few birds remain 

 throughout the winter, and in the Government of Podolsk (in 

 the district of Magilev) ; but it only occasionally visits the 

 Government of Voronesh and the steppes of the Caspian Sea, 

 a very few straying as far north as Sarepta and Orenburg. 



VULTUR MONACHUS. 



The Black Vulture is rare in Russia, where it breeds in 

 the south-eastern and southern parts of the country, and is 

 an accidental visitor to the western part. 



It breeds in the southern and south-western Ural ranges, 

 between the rivers Sakmara and Ik, and is sedentary in the 



