550 ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES. 
killed in the neighbourhood, and stuffed by a keeper. Among 
many very common inhabitants of the district I noticed a 
Pygmy Hagle (Aguila minuta) in the dark plumage, also a 
Red-legged Faleon (/alco vespertinus) and a Pomatorhine 
Skua (Lestris pomatorhinus). The appearance of this Gull 
in our part of the country is one of the rarest occurrences ; 
it was shot in March 1872 on a very small pool that lies 
among the meadows, but is close to the woods, and not far 
from the village of Dolan on the Peklover ground. With the 
exception of some very small brooks there is no other water in 
the neighbourhood, the nearest large river being the Moldau, 
which is a good many miles away. 
In the wood which was on May Sth so full of Golden 
Orioles and Turtle-Doves, I had on the 8th an opportunity 
of verifying my conjecture that it was the south wind that 
had brought such numbers of these birds, for although both 
species were still to be found, there was only the usual 
sprinkling of them. 
As soon as it began to get dark I heard the cry of the 
Nightjar, and creeping close up to the bird I was able to 
observe its very curious behaviour as it sat on the branch of 
a dead oak, with its wings drooping, its tail spread out like a 
capercaillie’s, and its body distorted. In this peculiar position 
if uttered its note, while it changed its perch several times, 
flitting from tree to tree and immediately recommencing its 
love song. 
The Tawny Owl (Syrntum aluco) was also calling hard by 
in a high fir-wood bordering on the fields, and by imitating 
the squeak of a mouse I decoyed the bird into my neigh- 
bourhood, where it flew from one tree to another, took long 
turns out over the fields, and finally came back quite close to 
me, inquisitively trying to find out the spot from which the 
noise proceeded, 
