Ornitholoyy of West Jutland. 315 



they had been Blue-headed Wagtails [M. jluva) we should 

 have noticed the difference. Tlie birds were very tame, and 

 in many cases were paired, but, as already stated, we failed 

 to find any nests, which could hardly have happened had 

 they been breeding. The text-books seem to give the Yellow 

 Wagtail a very limited geographical range, and we may have 

 been mistaken in assuming that they were Yellow Wagtails, 

 but, nevertheless, that they were so is still my belief. Of 

 course it would have been the easiest thing in the world to 

 have proved it, had we remembered at the time that any 

 uncertainty might attach to the question. The only Hawks 

 observed were an occasional Kestrel and Marsh Harrier; one 

 of the latter, a dark brown bird with a white head, seemed 

 to haunt the marshes regularly, but we were unable to find 

 its nest. The most likely places for it, viz. cane-brakes 

 situated on the sides of deep-water creeks, were frequented 

 by otters, their numerous tracks and lairs in these places 

 showing that the carp and other coarse fish inhabiting these 

 sluggish waters could not be having the best of times. 

 Storks {Ciconia alba), which had their nests on the peasants' 

 houses at the marsh-sides, of course frequented these areas, 

 and they could generally be seen sedately walking about or 

 engaged in a furious conflict with some obstreperous reptile. 



Black Terns {Hydrochelidon nigra), lovely objects in their 

 sooty summer dress, seemed to be just arriving about May 

 10th, and their numbers kept increasing during the next 

 fortnight. They had not then made any signs of nesting, 

 and probably would not have eggs until the first week in 

 June, by which time the water-lilies and other surface- 

 plants would afford sufficient consistency to bear the nurseries 

 of these swamp-loving birds. The only Gulls noted in the 

 marshes belonged to the Black-headed Larus ridibundus, and 

 even they did not appear to be paired ; probably they were 

 stragglers from some breeding-colony at another part of the 

 coast. 



The inland districts adjoining the marshes, half arable, 

 half sterile heaths, are devoid of interesting birds ; but Sky- 

 Larks breed here in thousands, and their continual singing 



SER. Vr. VOL. VI. 2 b 



