The Zoologist — November, 1871. 2835 



wretched mummies of bygone life we see so often in our Museums. 

 We will begin with the Rapaces. Be it remembered that I am 

 simply the translator of the very valuable notes and observations 

 of M. Saratz, which must interest every lover of birds. 



Rapaces. , 



Of the fifteen noticed by M. Saratz I choose out the following: — 

 Griffon TM^/j/re (Vultur fulvus).— An individual of this species 

 was killed on the 12lh of October, 1866, in the Engadine, by 

 M. Rascher. It is preserved in the museum at Chur. 



Lammergeyer or Bearded Vulture (Vultur barbatus). — These 

 splendid birds seldom show themselves now till after the month of 

 February. Only so far back as 1840 they used to come to us 

 regularly with the first drifts of snow, and then they would swoop 

 down to the villages, nearly touching the roofs with their large 

 wings. In 1859 a pair of these birds nested in the Camogasc 

 Valley. A nest was also built above Sils, on a rugged ledge of 

 rock. 



Golden Eagle (Aquila fulva). — Usually appears with us about 

 February. I have never seen it in winter. This great robber is not 

 rare with us, and nests every year near Pontresina. It restores its 

 old nest each year, adding thereto a few branches of the Stone 

 Pine [Pinus Cemhra). The female begins to lay early in April, 

 and on the 5th of May I have seen the little ones coming out of 

 the shell. On the 4th of June I have taken the eaglets still covered 

 with down, but of fair weight. The young begin to fly between 

 the 15th and 20tli of July. This year (1867) a pair of eagles nested 

 in the neighbourhood of Pontresina. The young ones fight some- 

 times for the prey brought them, aud the strongest gets the whole. 

 Their food consists chiefly of marmots and ptarmigans. The 

 fragments of flesh that remain in the nest attract swarms of flies, 

 which settle on the eaglets and sadly incommode them. 



Goshawk (Falco palumbarius). — The goshawk is not rare with 

 us. His impudence has gained for him the name of " Vautour des 

 poules." 



Eagle Owl (Strix Bubo). — This owl is not uncommon with us, 

 and his cry is well known to everyone. In December, 1861, I saw 

 an eagle owl perched on a telegraph-post between Samaden and 

 Pontresina. Messieurs Biveroni and Krattli say that they have 

 heard the cry of this bird during winter. 



