536 ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES. 



The Jackdaw (Corvus monedula) wintered this year on the 

 towers of Prague in far larger numbers than usual, and by 

 the beginning of March the first pairs were already to be seen 

 tidying up their nests with fresh twigs. The Book ( C. frugi- 

 legus) also passed almost the entire winter with us, and went 

 about the fields in large flocks. 



I saw single specimens of the Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris) 

 round Prague throughout the winter. In the districts of 

 Northern Bohemia, where this thrush nests, I observed it in 

 large flocks of fifty to sixty. On March 3rd and on April 

 13th, during very warm weather, I found considerable num- 

 bers congregated in the plains near Laxenburg, south of 

 Vienna, and being struck by this late appearance of the Field- 

 fare in a district where it never breeds I killed a specimen 

 in order to make sure of the species. 



During December the Common Mallard (Anas boscJtas) 

 did not leave a little lake near Prague until it was completely 

 frozen over, and several individuals reappeared at the first 

 thaw in the end of February. In the middle of March I 

 already found paired couples on the brooks and ponds of 

 Northern Bohemia. 



I observed the Shoveller (Spatula dypeata) on migration 

 at the .same time, and found on little ponds a few stra}' birds, 

 which, curiously enough, were all females. 



The Long-tailed Duck (Harelda glacialis) came to the 

 Danube this winter in extraordinary numbers, and the last 

 stragglers did not leave until the beginning of March. I 

 still saw some on the large lakes of Southern Bohemia on 

 March 10th. 



During the first weeks of March the Coot (Fulica atra) 

 appeared on the small pools near Prague, and at the end of 

 that month I already found several full clutches of eggs. 



The first Black-headed Gulls (Larus ridilnndus) were 

 observed on the Moldau at Prague in the middle of March, 



