Residence in Vienna. 58 1 1 



succeeded by his brother travellers. Sitting at breakfast in my resi- 

 dence in the suburbs on the 9th, I heard the willow wren (Sylvia tro- 

 cliilus), for the first time, singing merrily in some poplars visible 

 therefrom, — a circumstance which pleased me vastly, inasmuch as at 

 home I have walked miles to hear him announce himself, while here, 

 living as I was in the midst of a city, he made himself distinctly heard 

 from my breakfast-table. The first novelty was the Serin finch [Frin- 

 gilla serinus, Gould), which arrived on the 18th of April, and soon 

 distinguished himself by his active habits and incessant song. He is 

 almost as yellow as a canary, and about the same size, never quiet, 

 and constantly singing, whether perched on a tree-top, or moving, 

 Parus-like, among its branches, or flying cheerily from tree to tree. 

 His song, too, is not monotonous and tiring like the willow wren's, but 

 always fresh, cheerful and inspiriting. It is on these accounts much 

 esteemed by the people, and often seen caged. They always told me 

 its name was " Zeissl," but Bechstein calls it " Der girlitz." 



I spoke just now of the scarcity of the redbreast; but there is ano- 

 ther bird here which bears a singular resemblance to our winter 

 friend, and that is the redbreasted flycatcher (Muscicapa parm), 

 which, in its peculiar actions, as well as in its general appearance, is 

 such as often to lead the general observer to confound the two. This 

 bird, however, is by no means rare around Vienna; and Mr. Gould 

 has the honour of having first distinguished it. It is not quite 

 so large as the common redbreast, and has grayish or bluish gray 

 cheeks, which in our robin are red like the breast. It is remarkable 

 how closely it resembles the pert and active movements of the robin, 

 as though a similarity of external configuration must result in certain 

 peculiarities of action ; but I think it probable that its great resem- 

 blance to the familiar robin predisposes us to see our Sylvia in the 

 form of a Muscicapa. Like the robin, too, the male and female have 

 little, if any, difference in colour. 



The golden oriole [Oriolus galbula) is pretty common about Vienna. 

 This beautiful bird, the only European species of Oriolus, and which 

 not unfrequently favours us with its presence here in Kent, even 

 breeding with us occasionally, is a summer visitor at Vienna, arriving 

 in the beginning of May ; and the richly contrasted bright yellow and 

 black of his plumage produce an effect of considerable splendour, as 

 he flies along from tree to tree in the sunshine. But it is not easy to 

 catch sight of him, for he confines himself to thickly-wooded districts, 

 seldom appearing in the open country, and changes his position from 

 tree to tree more quickly than in such spots it is easy to follow. The 



