and in its Neighbourhood in 1864. 59 



Dove {Columba palumba) and the Turtur auritus, which last 

 arrives in May and is very abundant. 



Among the Gallince, three species of Partridge occur — Perdix 

 cinerea, Caccabis rufa, and C. grcBca, the last-mentioned being 

 the scarcest. In April the whole neighbourhood resounds with 

 the note of the Quail {Coturmx dadylisonans) . The little Bus- 

 tard [Otis tetrax) is said not to be rare, and nearly every year 

 some are captured in the immediate vicinity of this place ; how- 

 ever, I have not met with it during my stay here. 



The Stone-Curlew {(Edicnemus crepitans) is common; it ap- 

 pears to be a resident species. The " Sea-Partridge " of the 

 Italians {Glareola torquata) arrives in May, and is generally 

 brought living to the market, being caught by fowlers who are 

 out after Sea-Swallows. The Lapwing [Vanellus cristatus) 

 abounds in large flocks during the winter, and frequents the 

 large damp meadows which border the Cascine road ; and being 

 in the King's preserves of San Rossore, nobody can touch them : 

 they leave in April, and it is rare to see one here that has ac- 

 quired the black throat. The Golden Plover ( Charadrius pluvialis) 

 is extremely common, but only during the winter ; and the two 

 Ring-Plovers, JEgialites hiaticula and ^. minor, arrive in spring 

 in full nuptial plumage, the last one only breeding here, along 

 the Arno. Both the Turnstone {St7'epsilas interpres) and the 

 Oyster-catcher [Hcematopus ostralegus) are rather scarce in these 

 parts, and I have only seen one of the latter flying over the Arno 

 in April. 



Cranes [Grus cinerea) repass here in March, and it is a fine 

 sight to see them flying high up in the air, forming a compact 

 phalanx of the shape of an inverted j^ ; they generally betray 

 their presence by loud and discordant screams. With Savi, I 

 believe it not unlikely that a few may pass the winter in the 

 Tuscan Maremma and Pontine Marshes. 



I found the Grey Heron [Ardea cinerea) scarce, while during 

 the spring passage (towards the end of April) I frequently saw 

 large flights of the Purple Heron {Ardea purpurea) slowly flap- 

 ping overhead ; they are then in full nuptial plumage, and 

 ai*e the commonest among the true Herons in this neighbour- 

 hood ; they breed in the adjacent marshes, and in the beginning 



