1891-92-] Earth Pyramids of tlie Austrian Tyrol. 29 



young grouse when providing for their nestlings. Still," he 

 added, " we have a good many mice on the hills, and the good 

 the kestrels do in killing them counterbalances the damage 

 done to the grouse." On a grassy knoll we found a number 

 of ejected pellets, but were unable to discover whether they 

 were those of kestrels or owls. Carefully dissecting them, we 

 observed the long fur of the rabbit, as well as the remains of mice. 



It is owing to the endeavours of naturalists to prove too 

 much that they are often not listened to. What is the good 

 of their telling keepers that kestrels will not kill young game, 

 when many of them have shot these birds in the act ? The 

 Duke of Athole, and many other Highland proprietors, give 

 strict orders to their keepers that eagles and the rarer species 

 of the hawk tribe are not to be interfered with, but they do 

 not give as a reason for such instructions that these birds are 

 " harmless to game." I can testify how loyally these orders 

 are observed, and with what pride the keepers have escorted 

 me to an eagle's eyrie, despite the fact that, amongst the het- 

 erogeneous remains of all manner of winged and four-footed 

 game, newly killed grouse were to be seen neatly plucked, as 

 if by the hands of a professional cook. 



In hunting districts, foxes, though the greatest enemies to 

 game, are preserved by the gamekeeper, and why, I ask, 

 should owls, kestrels, &c, not be treated in a similar man- 

 ner ? "Would it not be better to paint them in their true 

 colours, and say, in the words of Mrs Mauley, — 



" Smile on their work ; be to their merits kind, 

 And to their faults, whate'er they are, be blind " ? 



VI.— THE EARTH PYRAMIDS OF THE 

 AUSTRIAN TYROL. 



By Mr SYDNEY KEITH. 

 (Read Feb. 24, 1892.) 



One evening in the spring of 1890 I was looking over a 

 collection of photographs taken by a friend now deceased, and 

 was much interested in several pictures of the earth pyramids 



