45G On Birds from the Western Pyrenees. 



and the colour of the back seemed rather more grey than 

 in British specimens. The Wryneck {lynx torquilla), re- 

 corded from Argeles-Gazost by Mr. Saunders as early as 

 March 26th, had possibly passed on to more congenial haunts, 

 as its cry was never heard. The Cuckoo {Cuculus canorus), 

 on the other hand, was constantly heard after the middle of 

 April. Not a single Owl was to be seen or heard either by day 

 or by night, but the peasants asserted that the " Grand Due " 

 {Bubo ignavus) haunted a large fir-wood on the hill opposite 

 Argeles. Griffon Vultures {Gyps ftilvus) were seldom visible, 

 though at times they appeared even over the town ; they are 

 said to breed near Arrens on the French side of the 

 mountains, but the natives cannot, of course, be relied upon, 

 and the snow prevented any attempt at reaching the locality. 

 Kestrels {Falco tinnunculus) were pretty common, especially 

 on the cliffs towards Lourdes ; but Buzzards and Kites were 

 conspicuous by their absence, though they occur in the 

 main valley as high as Argeles. No other members of the 

 Falconidse were seen. 



Wood-Pigeons {Columba palumbus) were somewhat un- 

 common, but both this species and the Stock-Dove (G. cenas) 

 must be extremely abundant in autumn, to judge from the 

 numbers which are said to be taken about September at St. Pe 

 and other places between that town and St. Jean de Luz, noted 

 for their " palombieres." Boys are sent up the trees, and 

 throAV sticks when the flocks appear. The birds are said to 

 follow the sticks, but it seems more likely that they swoop 

 down to avoid them. As a result they are caught in nets 

 stretched along or near the ground. M. Peyrafitte, the well- 

 known hotel-keeper and sportsman of Argeles, was parti- 

 cularly anxious to impress upon me the fact that the Hocks 

 at St. Pe arrived from the south, and that the smaller 

 Doves were much less numerous than the larger. About 

 April 12th the whole district swarmed with Turtle-Doves 

 (Turtur communis), apparently on migration. The Caper- 

 caillie {Tetrao uroy alius) is still shot in the highest woods 

 from time to time, but appears to be decidedly rare. The 

 Water-Hen {Gallinula chloropus) was observed on the Gave 

 de Pau at Argeles-Gazost. 



