459 



9 



rarity in Sicily may partly be owing to the fact of its not being generally known to sportsmen ; 

 however, individuals have been obtained at Villica and Ficuzza. Mr. A. B. Brooke writes to me 

 that it is not uncommon in the large pine-forests in the Maritime Alps, about ten miles north 

 of St. Remo, where he saw them repeatedly during winter, generally in small flocks of seven or 

 eight individuals. He saw a specimen in the Museum at Cagliari, which is stated by Cara to 

 have been killed near Aritzu, in the Gennargentu mountains. I do not find it recorded from 

 Greece. "In Southern Russia," Mr. Sabanaeff informs me, " it is only met with during migration, 

 and mostly in the spring, in the Governments of Kiew, Charkoff, Orel, and Voronege. In the 

 south, for instance in Odessa and near Sarepta, it does not occur every year. In the first districts 

 it is seen in September and beginning of October. About the same time they migrate near 

 Moscow. That is, according to my observations, in 1866 it migrated in the middle of September, 

 in 1867 in the beginning of October; in 1869 the first were seen in the beginning of September, 

 in 1870 about the 20th September, in 1871 in the beginning of September; in 1872 they were 

 seen about the first week in August, but were not observed earlier." Von Nordmann says that 

 he did not see it in Abasia, Mingrelia, Imeritia, or the Crimea, and only in the northern portions 

 of Bessarabia and Cherson. 



To the eastward it occurs throughout Siberia to Japan and the northern portions of China. 

 Middendorff found it common on the Jenesei, but not ranging above 64° N. lat. On the Stanowoi 

 mountains it was especially numerous on the heights, in some parts not far from the sea-coast. 

 On the 11th of July the young could fly well. Middendorff remarks on the difference in size of 

 the beaks, and states that in the same flock he observed specimens with beaks varying from 

 42 to 55 millims. in length. Von Schrenck records it as common throughout the Amoor country 

 at all seasons of the year. He procured it in July, at Hadshi Bay, in the autumn at the 

 Nikolaieffsk Post, and in the winter on the island of Saghalien, in mixed larch, birch, and aspen 

 woods, also in the spring at the mouth of the Gorin river. Dr. G. Radde observed the Nut- 

 cracker in the Eastern Sajan, nearly as high as the boundary of tree-growth (7000 feet). Here, 

 on the 29 th of July, they were feeding on the unripe seeds of the cembra, and practising their 

 young in flying. When thus employed the small flocks often united in the air, rising higher and 

 higher, flying irregularly here and there, but keeping to a certain area, some occasionally rising 

 almost out of sight ; suddenly, however, they would drop down swift as lightning one after the 

 other in succession, and collect on the top of a pine to recommence their aerial evolutions. 

 They would often pass along some distance in a straight line above the trees. On the 17th of 

 July he saw the first lot on the west coast of the Baikal thus practising, and on the 19th he met 

 with a flock of at least five hundred of these birds. In the Bureja mountains this species is rare, 

 and only met with occasionally. Captain Blakiston (Ibis, 1862, p. 326) obtained a specimen 

 from a birdcatcher near Hakodadi, in Japan, in September, which he sent home to Dr. Sclater, 

 who compared it with European specimens, and could detect no material difference between 

 them ; and Mr. R. Swinhoe saw a live specimen at Peking (which a native brought to the 

 Museum for sale), and subsequently purchased three specimens, all females. According to Von 

 Tschusi Schmidhofen there is a specimen in the Vienna Museum which Count Hahn obtained at 

 Tschi-fu, in the Gulf of Pe-tschi-li, in China, in the month of July. 



In its habits the Nutcracker somewhat resembles the Jay, but is a less lively and active 



T 



