204 Mr. H. B. Tristram on some 



MiLVUs iCTiNus (Savign.). Kite. 



A common bird all over the country, apparently more nume- 

 rous during the breeding-season; I shot several at various 

 times. 



MiLVUs MIGRANS (Bodd.). Black Kite. 



Not uncommon about the Devna lakes and in the Pravidy 

 valley; but I seldom observed it much higher up the country. 

 One specimen, a fine male, I shot as high up as Kialdery ; but it 

 is rarely that they are seen north of the Pravidy valley. 



Athene noctua (Retz.). Little Owl. 



Common throughout Central Bulgaria; it breeds in the ra- 

 vines between Kushetchen and Kialdery, and doubtless in many 

 other similar situations. 



Bubo maximus, Fleming. Eagle-Owl. 



More or less plentiful throughout the country, but particu- 

 larly so in the Pravidy valley. Nidification begins somewhat 

 early, namely, about the middle of March. On the 12th of 

 April, 1866, I took a nest containing two eggs and one young 

 bird ; I had previously shot the female, and shortly afterwards 

 procured the male also ; one of these eggs was so far incubated 

 that I could distinctly hear the young bird chirping within its 

 shelly prison ; I placed this egg under a sitting Goose, and in 

 three days it was duly hatched ; I then carefully attended to the 

 young bird, and fed it on raw meat chopped very fine. It went 

 on well for about a week, when I was called away on business 

 for a day or two, and had to leave it in charge of one of my 

 servants. I gave him strict injunctions as to its treatment; but 

 on my return I found my young Owl dead, my orders having 

 been neglected. 



XVIII. — Notes on some new South-African Sylviidse. 

 By H. B. Tristram, M.A., F.R.S., &c. 



(Plate VI.) 



Having had several small parcels of South-African specimens of 

 this very interesting family lately intrusted to me for discri- 



