IN TRANSYLVANIA. 565 



it to be (in the Carpathians the Bobak of the Ural also 

 replaces the Marmot of the Alps), it appears that the cocks 

 very rarely sit on trees during the breeding-season, but that 

 several generally meet together on the ground or, by prefer- 

 ence, on small patches of snow, and there pour forth their 

 love-songs. This is why the shooting of Capercaillies in 

 Transylvania _is-not managed in the Bohemian or Styrian 

 fashion by what is known as " springing," but usually by 

 means of a screen of branches such as are placed near the 

 drumming-places of the Blackcock. 



On the very highest parts of the mountains there also seems 

 to be a small grey game-bird well known to all the Transyl- 

 vanian sportsmen, and said to be a Common Partridge. I once 

 saw one, but it vanished so quickly among the creeping 

 pines that I cannot with certainty say what it was ; from the 

 glimpse that I caught of it, however, I took the doubtful bird 

 to be the Rock-Partridge (Caccabis saxatilis) *. On the 

 margin of the Zenoga lake, which is far above the limit of 

 the tree-growth, I also saw one morning a Common Snipe 

 (Gallinago gallinaria) among the bare stones : this poor 

 creature must have been storm-driven into these inhospitable 

 regions. 



I everywhere found the Raven (Corvus corax) at the 

 loftiest elevations, and also saw a Saker Falcon (Falco lania- 

 rius), for, knowing the species as I do, I could give no other 

 name to the bird which flew close past me, although this 

 would be the first time that it has ever been found in the high 

 mountains and at an elevation that was even above the tree- 

 growth. Possibly, however, it was only a Lanner (Falco 

 feldeggii) ; at any rate, it was one of the true Falcons. 



There were astonishing numbers of " Stein " Eagles, the 

 birds of the year, which at this season hardly ever fly about 



* [The Common Partridge (Perdix dnerea) is certainly not uncommon 

 in those localities ; but no red-legged species has been hitherto obtained.] 



