82 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



Denmark is also a country of great archaeological interest, 

 whose remains of past ages are innumerable, and whose history 

 in ancient and modern times is full of romance. Here, too, the 

 visitor is amidst a friendly people, who are the more ready to 

 receive an Englishman as such. In my own experience the 

 only hindrance has been the language, for, though all more 

 highly educated Danes speak some English (and German), and 

 many are very familiar with our tongue, yet in remote places, 

 which a visitor interested in birds often reaches, he is apt to find 

 himself at a loss with the farmer or boatman or country inn- 

 keeper. At the most interesting spots I had, fortunately, the 

 company of Danish friends who spoke English well. 



The avifauna of Denmark has great attraction for an English- 

 man, from the survival in its still extensive uncultivated lands 

 of so many species — Avocet, Black-tailed Godwit, Black Tern, 

 Ruff — which have ceased to nest in his own country. Until 

 recently its forests also sheltered many interesting birds of 

 prey — Sea-Eagle, Osprey, Kite, Buzzard, Goshawk, Peregrine 

 Falcon* — but now these have been largely exterminated in the 

 interests of game-preserving, and the many Baptores which in 

 Denmark still fall to the gun of the keeper are mainly migrants 

 from Scandinavia. In comparatively recent times the Cor- 

 morant, which here was a tree-builder, has ceased to breed. Of 

 Continental species which seldom or never breed in England 

 may also be observed in Denmark — the Icterine Warbler, Great 

 Reed- Warbler, Marsh- Warbler, Eastern Nightingale, White and 

 Blue-headed Wagtails, Little Owl, Wood- Sandpiper, Gull-billed 

 Tern (the only colonies in North Europe), Red-necked Grebe, 

 Little Gull (which here finds its western limit), and Turnstone, 

 the last two, however, but sparingly.! 



On the other hand, our mountain and rock-breeding birds are 

 naturally, as residents, rare in or absent from Denmark. Such 



* The Peregrine, however, was not common. The Common Buzzard is 

 still comparatively frequent. The Hobby also still breeds, and the Honey 

 Buzzard very sparingly. The Marsh Harrier, once common, is now very 

 scarce. For many of these details I am indebted to Hr. Winge's articles 

 " Fortegnelse over Danmarks Fugle" in ' D. 0. F. Tidsskrift,' 1906-07, and 

 " Danmarks Pattedyr og Fugle " in ' Danmarks Natur.' 



f It seems to be doubtful whether the Caspian Tern now nests. 



