600 NOTES ON BIRDS OF PREY. 



trated in quieter districts the Harriers in the auen of the 

 Danube, the Buzzards chiefly in the extensive woods. 



In July I met with more of these birds, and since the be- 

 ginning of August they have appeared in great abundance. 



In order to try and bag some valuable specimens and to 

 study their habits a little, I spent three days in visiting two 

 huts where the Eagle-Owl was used as a decoy. The first 

 time I came in the morning, and hid myself among the fields 

 which lie between Laxenburg, Himberg, and Velm, the hut 

 being placed on an embankment at the edge of the Neu- 

 graben, which is sparsely covered with reeds and bushes, and 

 is not far from the little wood known as the Weitau. 



Within two hours I saw at least eight to ten Common 

 Buzzards (Buteo vulgaris), mostly birds of the year, the two 

 or three young ones from the same nest generally flying 

 about in company. These birds have only recently appeared 

 here, and I fancy that they chiefly come from the Wiener 

 Wald, where I observed great numbers of them in July. In 

 the evening some of them may be seen going off towards the 

 hills in a westerly direction ; but I have satisfied myself that 

 they generally pass the night in the little clumps of wood in 

 the most outlying parts of the Laxenburg Park and the 

 pheasant-preserves belonging to it, while during the day they 

 fly over the fields looking for plunder. 



The Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) roams about everywhere, 

 and has paid me some visits at the Owl-hut ; the Peregrine 

 (F. peregrinus) also appeared, but was unfortunately missed ; 

 and the Goshawk (Astur palumbarius) showed itself one 

 evening close to the hut, but did not stoop, and soon retired 

 to its roosting-place in a little patch of trees. 



Harriers here constitute the bulk of the birds of prey, and 

 among them the commonest is the Marsh-Harrier. In the 

 morning one sees them ranging about, hunting up the part- 

 ridges and following them. They cast passing glances at the 



