Ornithological Notes from Constantinople. 61 
large flocks of this noble bird on both the Roumanian and 
Bulgarian banks. Crossing the Black Sea from Yarna to the 
Bosphorus, our ship was visited by several Ring-Ouzels (Tur- 
dus torquatus ), apparently on their way south (Sept. 23rd) 
and the same species was subsequently noticed suspended, 
along with Rollers, Jays, and Quails, amongst the spoils of 
the “ chasseurs ” at Constantinople. On the Bosphorus, at 
this time of the year, the commonest Gulls are certainly the 
Yellow-legged Herring-Gull (.Larus leucopheeus *) and the 
Black-hooded L. melanocephalus. These were, in fact, the 
only species noticed, except a single pair of L. fuscus at the 
entrance to the Sea of Marmora. The Terns observed were 
the Common and Sandwich (Sterna hirundo and S. cantiaca), 
though others doubtless occur. Flocks of the well-known 
Shearwater of the Bosphorus f, varying from five to fifty in 
number, were seen every day. 
The following were the land-birds that most attracted our 
attention in Constantinople and its vicinity :— 
1. Muscicapa parva. 
This Flycatcher is common along the old walls of the city, 
amongst the trees and gardens, and also in the Turkish ceme¬ 
teries, where the tall grave-stones form a most convenient 
resting-place for it whilst on the look-out for insects. Birds 
of the year (or females) are most abundant; but the full-plu- 
maged red-breasted male was also, at least on one occasion, 
observed];. The Spotted Flycatcher (M. grisola) is likewise 
* We call the Mediterranean Herring-Gull thus in obedience to Mr. 
Dresser, although Sclater had previously decided that its name should be 
fuscesceris. See Larus fuscescens, Sclater, P. Z. S. 1867, p. 315, and Rev. 
Cat. Vert. p. 316,—synonyms ignored by Mr. Dresser. 
t The correct scientific name of this Shearwater seems to he still in 
question. Strickland (P. Z. S. 1836, p. 101) observed it in the Levant in 
1835, and referred it to Vvffinus anglorum , which determination is usually 
followed. But Acerbi had previously named it yelkouan (scribe yel-kovan , 
il wind-driver ” in Turkish, as Dr. Dickson informs us), and Salvadori 
(Fauna dTtalia, Uccelli, p. 299) has recently attempted to vindicate its 
claims to specific distinctness. 
X MM. Alleon and Vian (Rev. Zool. 1873, p. 261) seem to think that, 
of this species, only the young birds are found on the Bosphorus during 
