370 Mr. J. II. fUiruey on tJie 



land in which we live^ and that forests and mountain-ranges 

 never afford food for more than a limited number of species. 

 A good modern book on the ornithology of the South of 

 France, with much more local information than is contained 

 in the 'Richesses Ornithologiques/ would be most acceptable, 

 while a handbook founded on it^ in English, for the use of 

 visitors, could not fail to be very useful, and would perhaps 

 dispel the general idea that there are no birds in France. 

 Since the great war with Germany, in 1870-1, Natural 

 History has been somewhat at a standstill, the French people 

 having too many other things to think about; and the 

 literature of ornithology has consequently fallen behind that 

 of England and Germany. Yet the flowers, the butterflies, 

 and the shells of the South of France have received their due 

 share of attention, though the birds have been neglected, 



Song-Thrush. Turdus musicus. 



The northward passage of T. musicus takes place in March, 

 and in spite of long-continued persecution the bird is still 

 sufficiently distributed to make its sudden disappearance 

 pretty noticeable, while it will be remembered that it is in 

 this month that the principal accession to the numbers is to 

 be observed in England. 



The '^chasse au poste" or '^poste a feu,^^ which appears 

 to be quite an institution, takes place in September, and an 

 amazing account of it is given by M. Pellicot. In the first 

 place it is necessary that the decoy birds be put out some 

 time before daybreak, and that the gunner be at his post and 

 concealed betimes, as T. musicus is on the wing very early, 

 and will often flutter round the cages containing the decoys 

 even before it is light. Then the gunner, from his place 

 of concealment, picks oS the unsuspecting migrants as they 

 settle on the "poste,^' which is generally a bough, without 

 leaves, elevated in an open place. 



Blackbird. Turdus merula. 



The " Merle uoir " is here appropriately called an 

 " Avouca,^' in allusion to its resemblance to a black-gowned 

 lawyer. A large Thrush, surh as T. viscivorus (which Ave 



