NOTES ON THE BIRDS OF BELGIUM. 161 



hours' drive over the paved roads takes you past numerous little 

 villages and scattered houses, cheerfully adorned with red roofs, 

 white walls, and green shutters. It was not therefore surprising 

 to find that resident birds were scarce. The numerous popula- 

 tion of small cultivators may account for the scarcity, as well as 

 for the fact that you may probably see in Mechelen more carts 

 drawn by dogs than in any other town. 



Turdus merula. — In the Botanical Garden. 



Pratincola rubetra. — Some in the grass marshes. 



P. rubicola. — A pair carrying food on the bushed banks of a 

 fortification. 



Ruticilla titys. — Several seen in Mechelen (49,000 inhabi- 

 tants), on the houses; one in the Grande Place. 



Daulias luscinia. — Heard in all the small plantations., and about 

 country houses ; I saw and heard several in the Botanical Garden. 



Sylvia cinerea. — Fairly common. 



S. atricapilla. — Plantations and Botanical Garden, where it 

 was in very fine song. 



S. hortensis. — Appeared to be common in plantations. 



Hypolais icterina. — One heard to the north of the town ; 

 another haunted the Botanical Garden. I heard a few rather 

 good notes from this bird, and a regular screech once or twice ; 

 but I had no opportunity of listening to it well on account of a 

 brass band and a crowd of people interfering on one occasion, 

 and a cold grey morning on another. 



*Acrocephalus palustris ?. — A bird singing, but out of sight, in 

 a patch of tall rye bounded by a wet ditch and garden ground, 

 was probably a Marsh Warbler. I heard imitations of the notes 

 of Swallow, Whinchat, and Stonechat, with Nightingale-like notes 

 and low chattering notes. 



A. turdoides. — I heard the grating notes from some reeds and 

 willows some way off on the other side of the Dyle. At a forti- 

 fication to the north of the town there was a moat, of which I 

 could get an occasional glimpse from the road. There I heard 

 two or three of these Warblers, and caught sight of one. I did 

 not think it desirable to poke about the place much with glasses 

 and note-book ! 



Accentor modularis. — Seen once or twice in the Botanical 

 Garden. 



Zool. 4th ser. vol. HI., April, 1899 m 



