Notes of a Residence in Vienna. 5805 



Zoological Notes of a Residence in Vienna in 1856.* 



By CUTHBERT COLLINGWOOD, M.D. 



A winter residence in a large capital, it must be confessed, is not 

 exactly the condition most favourable to the study and observation of 

 Natural History facts ; much, however, may be done in the early 

 spring; and this idea was not absent from my mind when I deter- 

 mined to prolong my sojourn at Vienna until the month of May, in 

 time to note the arrival of visitors from the South. The following 

 paper, therefore, by no means aims at presenting a complete Fauna 

 Vindebonensis, nor even a list of such animals as are found in 

 its vicinity, which might perhaps be written as easily in London, but 

 will consist simply of remarks extracted from my note-book, and 

 arranged in such a form as is most likely to give them interest. 



Vienna, however, though a large city, is by no means deficient in 

 spots in its vicinity which, when once reached, are favourable to such 

 observations. It consists of two distinct cities, the inner closely 

 packed and strongly fortified, beyond the deep moats of which ex- 

 tends, in all directions (except one point), a glacis, that is, a wide, 

 open, grassy space, planted with avenues of chestnuts, limes and 

 acacias, which do not, however, afford much protection from the 

 piercing winds of winter, nor, if 1 can take the word of the universally 

 grumbling residents, from the scorching suns and blinding dust of 

 summer. Beyond this are the suburbs, or outer city, which stretches 

 indefinitely in all directions, and is very extensive. The Danube 

 does not come fairly up to Vienna, but the main stream divides seve- 

 ral miles distant from the city, and only a small arm, designated the 

 canal, touches the outside of the fortifications ; and it is here that the 

 glacis narrows, and is replaced by a bridge leading to the most popu- 

 lous and fashionable suburb. 



There are, however, numerous spots in the vicinity of the city 

 where the naturalist may find himself amply employed ; for Vienna 

 is rich in gardens, usually, it is true, cut in the formal Italian style, 

 but abounding in birds. Such are the Augarten, Prince Schwartzen- 

 berg's garden, the Imperial gardens at Schonbrunn, &c. ; but, above 

 all, there is the Prater, an extensive wooded tract, the remains of an 

 ancient forest which once occupied the greater part of the site of 

 Vienna. The city has gradually encroached upon it; but still it is 



* The substance of this paper was read to the Greenwich Natural History Club. 



