550 ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES. 



killed in the neighbourhood, and stufted by a keeper. Among 

 many very common inhabitants of the district I noticed a 

 Pygmy Eagle (Aquila minuta) in the dark plumage, also a 

 Ited-legged Falcon (Falco 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 5th 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 

 K ightjar, 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 

 capercailhVs, and its body distorted. In this peculiar position 

 it: uttered its note, while it changed its perch several times, 

 flitting from tree to tree and immediately recommencing its 

 love song. 



The Tawny Owl (Syrnium 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. 



