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THE ZOOLOGIST. 



hood of his chalet he chained this poor bird to the top of a tree, when 

 it often attracted the Eagle within shot. Soon a boy appeared with 

 a large basket, into which the huge Owl was stowed, and off went our 

 friend with his gun towards the forest, accompanied by the boy carry- 

 in g the Owl. This man was the only sportsman carrying a gun I 

 saw during my stay. 



On one occasion, when proceeding along the bank of a slow river, 

 we saw a Kingfisher (Alcedo hispida) and a Water-Ouzel, but the 

 usually rapid flowing streams of the Tyrol cannot suit the habits of 

 the former bird, and I imagine it must be very rare in the moun- 

 tainous regions. On September 13th, when at the end of a three 

 days' excursion, we completely lost our way in a very desolate region, 

 where there were no marks of the Alpine Club to direct us. I well 

 remember we were toiling up a slope beside a roaring torrent, the 

 noise of which drowned any sound we made during the ascent, and 

 when we topped a rise there in front of us, within twenty yards, on a 

 flat piece of grass, sat a magnificent Golden Eagle (Aquila chry- 

 saetus). On observing us the bird rose in the most awkward, clumsy 

 manner imaginable, with legs stretched backwards, neck stretched to 

 full extent — in fact, it looked like a combination of a Great Coot and 

 Cormorant rising from water, but this awkwardness disappeared in 

 a few yards ; then, with neck retracted and legs drawn up, it sailed 

 away in splendid flight. I would like to know if any readers of ' The 

 Zoologist ' have noticed this bird rising from a flat surface, and if the 

 flight for a few yards has been as described. On a few occasions, 

 when a boy, I have seen these birds soaring about over hills in wild 

 parts of Scotland, but never had the good fortune to be close to one 

 rising from level ground. 



In the Tyrol I found (as I have done in Normandy and Brittany) 

 that the forests were carpeted in some places with such thick under- 

 growth that only very slow progress could be made, in others there 

 was no undergrowth whatever; the former prevented observation, 

 while the latter is inimical to most bird-life. — J. E. H. Kelso (San 

 Eemo, Festing Road, Southsea). 



