5316 Birds. 



watching their habits. As it was against garrison orders to shoot on 

 the rock, I had recourse to a small rat-trap to procure a specimen, 

 carefully concealing it in the foliage, and placing a cone of the Arbor 

 Vitae upon it : I had the satisfaction to be rewarded for my trouble 

 with a fine female specimen : I never, however, caught another, 

 although the birds returned to their food, and were constantly in the 

 tree. 



The Common Robin (Tardus migratoriusj [? Ed.] spends the winter 

 in Andalusia. I had two or three in my garden all the winter months, 

 but on the approach of hot weather they disappeared, and I never 

 saw one anywhere after the end of March. 1 was informed by a 

 friend at Gibraltar that at Malta the robin arrives regularly for the 

 winter months in great numbers, but migrates again on the approach 

 of the hot weather, which dries and parches everything, so that they 

 would be unable easily to obtain their food. During the winter the 

 climate affords them abundant sustenance. 



In the same manner the Kingfisher winters in this province, but I 

 never saw it during the summer, although I have frequently passed 

 its winter haunts. 



I could add many more birds to my list ; perhaps at some future 

 date, should this prove acceptable, I may venture to send another 

 communication. 



C. W. Watkins. 



October, 1856. 



Notes on Birds in Germany. By Henry Smurthwaite, Esq. 



Having lately passed some time in a district of Germany, where 

 I had many opportunities of observing the habits of some rather rare 

 British birds, a short notice of the most interesting of these may 

 perhaps prove acceptable to the numerous readers of the 'Zoologist.' 



The town in which I have been residing is Reuss Greiz, the capital 

 of a small principality on the borders of Saxony, and during my stay 

 there I have daily seen great numbers of the white wagtail (Molacilla 

 alba). These pretty and graceful birds were to be seen at all hours in 

 the immediate vicinity of the town, and during the last month (Sep- 

 tember) in surprising numbers. A small stream of muddy water ran 

 through the principal streets of Greiz, and emptied itself into the river 

 Elster ; at the junction of the two several pairs were always to be seen 



