416 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



they could be. Greatly delighted at our prospects, we closed our 

 first day at Kissingen. 



July 5th, Sunday. — After evening service we strolled along 

 the banks of the Saale, and found there Blackbirds, Chaffinches, 

 Goldfinches, Greenfinches, Serins, Grey Wagtails, Spotted Fly- 

 catchers, one Wood Warbler, Garden Warblers, the two Redstarts, 

 and other species, and all wonderfully tame. 



July 6th. — Observed twenty- one species of birds in the Kur- 

 garten, including one of whose identity I was uncertain, but 

 which had taken its station in a tree near the Iron Bridge, and 

 which uttered from time to time some wonderfully loud and 

 melodious notes, interspersed with some discordant cries like 

 " aye, aye." 



July 7th. — Walked up to the Stationsberg, at height of about 

 470 feet, from which we had a lovely view of the Rhon Mountains, 

 glad to hear the Song Thrush and Robin, of which there were 

 none apparently in the town. I watched for a considerable time 

 the strange bird in the lime-tree near the bridge. Its notes 

 were very loud and sweet, with some harsh, jarring sounds. 

 I think this must have been the Icterine Warbler I heard in the 

 Hosch at the Hague nine years ago. It is like a Willow Warbler ; 

 the back is green, bill horn-colour, chin silvery. Nuthatches were 

 very tame and plentiful ; fire-flies numerous. 



July 8th. — Observed the same warbler again closely, and then 

 felt sure it was the Icterine Warbler. Saw a male Great Spotted 

 Woodpecker in the trees at the other side of the Saale, and was 

 much interested to note its attitudes, — at one time over, and at 

 another under, the branches, — like a boy's on the parallel-bars. 

 The call-note, like the word " gick," reminded me of a Yellow- 

 hammer, and seemed very appropriate to his surroundings, as 

 " Gicht" is the German for gout, which the waters of Kissingen 

 are supposed to cure. 



July 9th. — Walked up towards the Salinen-Bad, and heard 

 two Reed Warblers on the river-bank ; saw also a small warbler, 

 very silvery underneath. In the evening, on the hill near the 

 Belvedere, Lovely scenery ! as one gets higher up, a gentle and 

 tranquil beauty reminded me of the Thames Valley at Wargrave. 



July 10th. — All the graves in the " Gott's Acker," or, as they 

 beautifully term it here, the " Friedhof," were decked with flowers 

 and wreaths, as this was the twenty-fifth anniversary of the battle 



