and in its Neighbourhood in 1864. 57 



[Pica caudata) may also be seen pretty often, especially perched 

 on the humps of the camels used for conveying wood in the King 

 of Italy's park at the Cascine. Among the same Camels, in 

 the meadows which border the Cascine, large flights of Rooks 

 {Corvus frugilegus) are to be seen during the winter and early 

 spring, making great havoc among the Lumhrici and other In- 

 vertebrates : with them are generally a few specimens of the 

 Hooded Crow [C. comix)', but the Rooks disappear in spring, none 

 breeding here, while the Carrion Crows remain. According to 

 Savi, the roof of the Battistero sheltered a numerous colony of 

 Jackdaws in times gone by ; but now, not a single individual 

 of the Lycus monedula is to be seen about here. 



Pastor roseus occurs irregularly ; and I had the good fortune 

 to see a couple flying in the midst of a flock of Starlings [Sturnus 

 vulgaris) in June. When caught, they are constantly found 

 among Common Starlings. 



Finches are pretty numerous here; and towards the end of 

 March small flocks of the Hawfinch [Coccothraustes vulgaris) 

 appear. Chlorospiza chloris follows, frequenting the tops of the 

 white poplars which line the Piaggie and Cascine roads, as do 

 also small flocks of Siskins [Chrysomitris spinus), Goldfinches 

 [Carduelis elegans), and the lovely little "Serino" {Dryospiza 

 serinus) later in the spring. Petronia stulta is not common : I 

 have occasionally seen it during last winter, which, being very 

 severe, caused the Brambling {Fringilla montifringilla) to be ex- 

 tremely abundant ; and even a few specimens of the Montifrin- 

 gilla nivalis made their way from the snows of the higher Apen- 

 nines to the warmer Pisan plain. It is remarkable that I 

 have seen no Linnets during my stay here. Passer italice and 

 P. montana abound ; and the two breed in company on our roof, 

 on which I found no less than forty-eight nests, thirty belonging 

 to the Tree-Sparrow. Their constant sociability confirms the 

 views of some French ornithologists, who think Sparrows closely 

 allied to the Plocei. 



Among the Buntings, Pisa and its neighbourhood possess some 

 fine species. During the winter I have observed the following : — 

 Emberiza citrinella, E. cirlus, and E. cia. Towards the beginning 

 of spring, the curious note of the Corn-Bunting {Spinas miliaria) 



