CONTRIBUTIONS TO AN AVIFAUNA OF BADEN. 171 



been recorded, and a Starling in my collection has the upper 

 mandible curved upwards, so as to be entirely useless. Unless 

 these birds were fed by others, it is a marvel how they could sur- 

 vive with such imperfections. 



Troglodytes parvulus. Somewhat rarer than in England. 

 Schlosspark. 



Motacilla alba. The commonest of its genus near Karlsruhe. 

 It nests in huts on the " Exercierplatz," and in the cabins of the 

 baths at Maxan on the Rhine, and uses feathers as lining, 

 whereas lugubris prefers hair. — M. melanope. On all streams on 

 the hills, and quite close to Karlsruhe (Hohenwettersbach, &c). 



M.flava. Not rare. Nests along the Alb. 



Anthus pratensis and trivialis are both scarce in comparison 

 to England. 



Oriolus galbula. Hardwald, and still commoner in the Rhine 

 woods. I have never heard its melodious song before the begin- 

 ning of May. 



Lanius excubitor. Observed at all seasons of the year in the 

 plains of Baden and the Bavarian Palatinate, but difficult to 

 approach. Some may have been major, — I came across a nest of 

 L. minor along a path in the Hardwald, and quite close to the 

 town. It was four feet from the ground, and contained five eggs. 

 — L. collurio. Universally distributed, even in the centre of the 

 Rhine woods. It is said to be good eating (?). — L. pomeranus. 

 Once observed, and that just outside Baden territory (at Tutt- 

 lingen), but common enough, to judge by the number of stuffed 

 specimens one sees everywhere. 



Ampelis garrulus. Near Grotzingen ; was shot in some num- 

 bers in the gardens of Karlsruhe, in winter, 1885. 



Muscicapa grisola prefers the oak trees of the " Wildpark." 

 In the Hardwald it is supplanted by M. luctuosa, which generally 

 arrives a few days earlier, and is common both here and in the 

 " Schlosspark." In June, 1886, the Pied Flycatcher was espe- 

 cially numerous, but forced by the perpetual rain to look on the 

 ground for its food (vide ' The Zoologist' of that month) : this 

 consisted principally at that time of the battered remains of 

 those annoying green caterpillars that dangle from the trees by 

 invisible threads at the exact height of one's face. In 1889, for 

 some unexplained reason, luctuosa was much rarer. This species 

 frequently ousts the Crested Tits and other birds from their 



