6 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



Honey Buzzard is very rare also. The Buzz8,rd is met with 

 everywhere, but not found very high ; while the Long-legged 

 Buzzard {Buteo ferox) is till now unknown. The Black Kite 

 {Milvus ater, v. niblet, nebel) is rare, but a breeding species ; and 

 I think it is the same with the Common Kite {Milvus ictinus) ; I 

 saw the former not very far from Roncobello (3074 ft.), but I 

 was unable to secure it. The Gos-Hawk {Astur palu7nharius) 

 is fairly abundant during summer in the mountainous woods; 

 and the Sparrow-Hawk is one of the most common local rapa- 

 cious birds. 



Amongst the other rapacious birds, Gennaja are unknown, 

 and certainly unrecorded up to now. The Peregrine Falcon 

 {Falco peregrinus, v. falcon di barbiss) is pretty common, but not 

 easily found, in the high mountains. I saw the Merlin {Msalon 

 regulus) at the Hill di Valpiana (3166 ft.), but I was unable to 

 shoot it ; and I heard that the|Red-footed Falcon (Erythropus 

 vespertinus) in some years is not rare during May in certain 

 mountain meadows (Passo di Grialeggio, 5209 ft., Monte Ara- 

 lalta, Monte Ortighera, 5009 ft.) ; I obtained a specimen for my 

 collection from S. Pietro d'Orzio (187 7 ft.) on May 10th, 1894. 

 The Kestrel {Tinnunciilus alaudarms) is met with also at the top 

 of the highest mountains, and I secured a specimen for m3' 

 collection at the Zuccone dei Campelli, at about 6094 ft.. Re- 

 garding the other small Falcons I lack information. 



The Marsh-Harrier {Circus ceruginosus, v. Falchett d'aqua), 

 the Hen-Harrier {C. cyaneus), and perhaps Montagu's Harrier 

 {C. cineraceus), Qxe met with but very seldom; they generally 

 frequent the marshes, and here they appear almost like stragglers, 

 especially the two latter. 



Regarding the nocturnal birds of prey, I noticed the Barn-Owl 

 {Strix jiammea, v. Dama, Loch bianc), which is met with up to 

 3000 ft. in height, and is fairly abundant, but specimens with the 

 under-parts white seem to be very rare. The Short-eared Owl 

 {Asio otus, V. Loch) and the Long-eared Owl {A. accipitrinus, v. 

 Loch, L. gross) are common and breeding species. The Scops 

 Owl {Scops giu, V. Sisol) is a summer visitor, fairly frequent, and 

 breeding. The Tawny Owl {Syrnium aluco) is not unfrequent ; 

 while the Ural Owl {S-liiralense) has not hitherto been observed. 

 Tengmalm's Owl {Nyctala tengmalmi) is rather scarce ; the Pigmy 



