156 Mr. H. E. Dresser— An 



The weather was very fine, so we spent part of the day out 

 of doors, where we saw Buteo zimmcrmamtce, Coracias garrulus , 

 and many other more common birds ; Carpodacus erythrinus 

 is often seen in the garden, but we did not observe it there. 



The Baron had a small egg-collection, but there was not 

 much in it of interest to me, except a few eggs from Trans- 

 caspia, any of which, he told me, I could have. I selected 

 several, and amongst them was one of Gecinus flavirostris, 

 which I believe is the only authentic specimen known, for 

 when Messrs. Loudon and Zarudny met with this Woodpecker 

 all the nests contained young birds, except one, in which 

 an addled egg was found : this was not discoloured and they 

 were able to blow it. The next day we visited a wood about 

 six miles distant, where we saw a nest of Aquila pomarina, 

 which was not presently tenanted, though we noticed a pair of 

 the birds. We also saw several Buzzards' nests and one of a 

 Goshawk. When crossing a deep wide ditch in a wood a 

 bird flew out nearly under our feet and the Baron shot it; 

 it proved to be a female Bed wing {Turdus iliacus). The 

 nest was in a depression or shallow hole in the side of the 

 ditch and contained five incubated eggs, four of which I was 

 able to blow. The nest was at the foot of a tiny spruce 

 sapling about a foot high. 



In another wood we found a Blizzard's nest in a high pine- 

 tree, so the keeper went and brought back a boy, who climbed 

 the tree and found that the nest contained two young birds 

 in down and one egg. As the Buzzards here are supposed to 

 be Buteo zimmermann<e, the Baron shot one of the parents, 

 and photographed both this nest and that of Turdus iliacus. 

 The Buzzard had the upper parts as in typical B. vulgaris, 

 but paler and tinged with rufous on the neck, while the under 

 parts were rufous-buff, the throat striated and the abdomen 

 barred ; the tail was, however, not rufous, but as in typical 

 B. vulgaris. I examined the series of Buzzards in Baron 

 Loudon's collection, and must say that the so-called B. zim- 

 niermann<£ seems to be a very doubtful and variable species. 



The following day we all three drove over to Burtnek, 

 to visit Herr von Schroder, whose place, said to be the 



