and in its Neighbourhood in 1864. 51 



several small Kestrels, most likely the Tinnunculus cenchris. The 

 former small Falcon feeds entirely on insects, especially Orthoptera, 

 and is so Cuckoo-like in some of its habits that it is considered a 

 sort of Cuckoo by most Italian peasants. In the winter I saw, seve- 

 ral times, Ospreys [Pandion haliaetus) flying at a great height over 

 the Arno. Circus aruginosus and Otus brachyotus are pretty 

 common among the marshy flats around this place ; and I have 

 occasionally seen Stiigiceps cyaneus, which is, however, much 

 rarer. Often while returning home of an evening from the 

 town during May, my eyes delighted with the innumerable 

 Fire-flies {Lampyris italica) which continually crossed ray path, 

 and my ears with the lovely notes of the Nightingale, these 

 have been interrupted by the melancholy hoot of the small Scops 

 Owl {Scops zorca) and thecurioas cry of the '' Civetta" {Athene 

 noctua), watching for their prey on the tops of the high poplars 

 which line the Piaggie road. The funereal Strix flammea often 

 utters its dismal screech from the roof of the Campo Santo, 

 or from the top of the celebrated Leaning Tower, where it finds 

 a plentiful prey among the numerous Molossi and other Bats 

 which inhabit those two structures. 



The Nightjar {Caprimulgus europaus) is not very abundant; 

 but its churring note is often heard in the dusky twilight of 

 spring and summer evenings. Hirundo rustica and Chelidon 

 wbica are the only Swallows seen about here : the latter made 

 its appearance before the former, towards the end of March. I 

 have not met with the Hirundo rufula of Temniinck, of which I 

 procured several specimens when at Genoa some years ago : it 

 passes that place in small numbers pretty regularly ; for every 

 year one or two are captured among the hundreds of Chimney 

 Swallows which are shot for the Genoese market during the 

 spring migration. I suppose that a few pass this neighbourhood 

 also, but have escaped detection, as Swallows are never shot here, 

 being considered chickens of the Madonna. Where is the true 

 habitat of this species, which is certainly quite distinct from 

 the H. alpestris (Pallas) of Eastern Asia? In August I saw several 

 Rock-Martins {Cotyle ruj^estris) about the Bagni di Lucca. 

 Cypselus apus abounds in the old edifices of the town; and now 

 and then I have seen a truant individual of the great White- 



E 2 



