The Birds of Transylvania

188 Messrs. C. Q. Danford and J. A. Harvie Brown on

seen off the island, but, as far aa I could ascertain, never obtained. All the Procellariidse, excepting filntarus glacialis (Linn.), appear to be of very uncommon occurrence.

PROCELLARIA LEUCORRHOA, V. One example in the collection, being the sole individud

of its kind ever obtained there.

In bringing these notes to a conclusion, I cannot but express my regret at their incomplete form. During a short stay of five days in the island my time waa much occupied in other matters, as was also Mr. Gatke's in his official duties. It was with some difficulty I managed to give up two short afternoons to the inspection of his ornithological collection only : to give then any thing like a detailed description would have required a much longer and closer examination than I was able to give. I have purposely abstained S&B any men- tion or notice of any but such species aa I thought were of general interest and of the most importance. I trust, how- ever, enough has been said to induce some of our English ornithologists, having a thorough knowledge of the ornis of the continent of Europe, to visit Heligoland, and complete what I have only glanced at.

'?

XI.-The Birds of Transylvania, By CHARLES G. DANFORD, F.Z.S., and JOHN A. HARVIE BROWN.

Part I. As an introduction to this paper on the avifauna of Transyl- vania or Siebenbiirgen, it may be well to give a slight description of the singular features which the varied surface of the land presents.

Transylvania, as will be seen on looking at a map of the country, is nearly circular in shape, and is almost surrounded by a chain of mountains, the highest peaks of which, the P6reng and Negoi, in the Hunyad and Fogaras districts of the south, are respectively 8060 feet and 8046 feet in height, while others of the same chain, such as the Vunetura-Butianu, Bucsecs, Retjezfit, bc., attain heights of very nearly 8000

the Birds of Ransylvania. 189

feet. The surface of the country, in point of fact, may be said to resemble a saucer or shallow cup, the land gradually curving upwards from the central undulating plain towards the rim of encircling mountains. Of the central districts of Transylvania, some portions are well wooded and watered ; but there are also great tracts of country singularly destitute of timber, the innumerable minor hills and valleys being for the most part waterless.

Especially remarkable is the district of the MezGskg (liter- ally “ field-lands ”), extending from Apahida, near Klausen- burg, in the west, nearly to Maros-VBsBrhely, in the east, and bounded by the courses of three of the principal rivers of Transylvania-the Maros and Aranyos (golden) rivers on the south and south-west, and the Szamos on the north and west. A monotonous country it is, having a weary outline of low hills and valleys, the former rising to a height of 200 or 300 feet, the exact counterparts of one another, and enclosing the valleys, which are alike monotonous in their aspect. The surface-soil is rich and loamy, and almost black in colour ; loose and friable in dry weather, but easily converted by a few hours’ rain into a deep sticky mud, which is exceedingly trying to the traveller, whether he be pursuing his journey on foot or driving in the strong rough carts of the country. It is often the case that not even one small stone can be de- tected along miles and miles of a Mezoskg road. The hills near the villages are cultivated to the summits ; and in spring, before the kukoricza (Indian corn) shoots up, or the scat- tered vineyards show their green leaves, the aspect of the country is monotonous in the extreme.

Underlying the loamy surface-soil, and extending through- out the whole length and breadth of the Mezoskg, at an un- varying depth of about 15 feet, is a band of hard white or yellowish white clay, having a smooth slippery’upper surface. Upon this clay, which is almost as hard as rock, the lighter soil slides down the hill-sides in a most remarkable manner, forming the slopes into regular terraces, or pushing the soil lower down into wave-like ridges. I n many instances these gigantic laridslips actually fill up some of the smaller valleys,

190 Messrs. C. G. Danford and J. A. Harvie Brown on

causing a great deal of labour and inconvenience to the in- habitants.

We collected birds in the Mezos6g district from the 1st to the 20th of May; and during that time 107 species came under our observation*. Owing to the exceptionably severe weather in spring of the present year (1874), the breeding of the aquatic birds was considerably retarded. As a proof of this, we found very few nests of water-fowl during our stay there, even a month after the time assigned by the natives as their usual breeding-season. The reedy lakes near Ztih are the favourite resorts of innumerable water-fowl, whether of the resident species or of those passing on their migrations. There we found a colony of Night-Herons, whilst the Purple Heron, Common Heron, and Little Bittern were also common. From amongst the great reed-beds the Thrush-like Warbler sent forth his harsh grating note; and the rarer and more unob- trusive River-Warbler was found in small numbers. The Bearded Tit, on warm sunny days, might be seen frequenting the edges of the reed-beds; and three specimens of the Pen- duline Tit were on one occasion observed by our assistant and fellow-traveller, Herr Klir. Marsh and Swainson’s Harriers had their nests among the reeds ; Coots and Moorhens swam in numbers on the surface of the water ; and Black and White- winged Terns, and a few specimens of the Little Gull hovered over the water, or settled to rest on the floating roots and matted stems of the water-plants. A small flock of the White- headed Duck, together with other species of that family, floated lightly and lazily on the water under the warm sun; and Grebes of at least three species dived along the margins

* Herr Hermann Ottb, former curator of the Klausenburg Museum, enumerates 173 species as occurring to his knowledge in the Mezodg: wide list of works at the end of this introductory portion of our paper. (3rd Lhh, writing of the waterbiirde of Transylvania, says that there used to be many more swimmers and wadera in Transylvania, and that their numbers are yearly decreesing-giving as reaaons the diminished rQinfall in consequence of devastation of forests, and the interference with their breeding-grounds on the Theise by certain systems for the regulation of the water which have been adopted on that river.

the Birds of Transylvania. 191

of the reed-beds. And above all the many wild-bird cries which we heard, the loud croaking of innumerable fkogs, like the musical throbbing notes of a large 2Eolian harp,

Turning to the laud, we found the vineyards on the slopes, and the little isolated clumps and belts of wood (few and far between, like the oases of the desert) full of life; and birds are more easily found in these small woods than in the great oak-, beach-, or pine-tracts nearer to the mountains. Golden Orioles, Nightingales, and Turtledoves vied with one another in waking the echoes ; and the warblihgs of the Blackcap and, more rarely, of its relation the B m d Warbler were occasionally heard. In the vineyards snd fruit-gardens Gold- finches and Shrikes were the most conspicuous specie; and in the meadows in the valleys the ,‘whit, whit-whit” of the Quail waa constantly heard; and the Crested Lark and the common Bunting tripped along the dusty roads or perched on the low bushes around. Thus it will be seen that the Mezos6g is rich in bird-life as in flowers; but the heat is great at mid- summer, and the water is almost poisonous. The ornitho- logist collecting there will do well to escape, aa we did, towards the mountains before the great heat sets in. Our next station was at Gorg6ny Szent Imri, in Szelser

Land, amidst old forests of primeval oak of great extent, once the haunt of the wild aurochs, but now tenantedbylong- horned tame white cattle, and by herds of wiry little horses, the property of the villagers. Description cannot do justice to these glorious old oak trees. It is not their height that is remarkable, but their great girth and their giant branches, knotted and twisted into every curious and fantastic shape. These grand old trees stand on a slightly marshy park-like pla- teau, a few feet above the level of the valley of Gorgdny, and are in some places from thirty to forty yards apart, giving to the forest the appearance of an old English park on a great scale. I n many instances age and decay have been asaisted in hollowing out the great gaunt stems by the axes of the wood- men when seeking fuel for their camp-fires. Thus great caverns are formed, large enough to give shelter to half a

- was ever present.

192 Messrs. C. G. Danford a d J. A, Harvie Brown on

dozen men in a storm. From the marshy nature of the ground, this forest of GorgBny is called the Mocsk (or swamp-) forest. We stayed at GorgBny Szent Imri from the 22nd of May to the 30th of May, finding a somewhat different fauna. Woodpeckers, Thrushes, and Blackbirds (which we had failed to observe in the MezosBg) , Stock-Doves, Jackdaws, and Starlings were numerous j Hoopoes bred in the hollow trees in deserted Woodpeckers' holes j and Orioles, Lesser Grey Shrikes, and Red-backed Shrikes were as abundant as in the MezosBg. Water birds .were, of course, almost absent.

We proceeded to Fanczal, higher up the GorgBny valley, on the 30th May, passing along the banks of arushing monh- tain-river, down which huge rafts of pine wood are floated from the mountains. On both sides the hills rise steeply as the valley contracts, beech wood clothing their sides and summits, with a few tall pines relieving the lighter foliage with their more sombre tints. At Fanczal and Ober-Fanczal (eight miles up a lateral valley from Fanczal) we remained till the 5th of June, not adding much to our collections, but forming some idea of the limited avifauna of the pine-region" and of the mossy summits of the mountains above the pines at an elevation of about 40004500 feet. In these localities we found the Crested and Marsh Titmice and the Ring- Ouzel not uncommon, the latter species frequenting the upper limit of the pine-woods j and we heard the Great Black Wood- pecker and the Capercaillie. The Spotted Eagle was common in the beech- and pine-clad .valleys, and the Golden Eagle wm occasionally recognized. Over the summit of the Fanczal Berg two Kestrels were seen hovering ; and there also we procured a good many specimens of the Water-Pipit. The Dipper frequented the streams ; and the Grey Wagtail became more abundant as we ascended the valleys. Shrikes, Orioles, Jackdaws, S tock-Doves, and Turtledoves, and by far the greater part of the previously observed fauna entirely disappeared, although Fanczal is not more than fifteen miles

The trees forming the great bulk of the mountain-forests ere A& pectin& and A. excelsa. A fourth of the country is under wood. The largest pine exhibited at the Vienna exhibition WBB cut near Fanczal.


higher up the valley than GorgBny. The Chaffinch and the Wren we found far up among the pines, the former fiequent- ing the uppermost limit of the pine-growth at nearly 4000 feet elevation. The Goshawk and the Sparrow-hawk were also noticed.

Virtually our collecting ceased with our last day's stay at Fanczal, which, though merely a forest station for the ac- commodation of the Forstmeisters, is a comfortable chblet- built house, beautifully situated at the junction of the Gor- gBny and Fanczal valleys. From Fanczal we returned to GiirgBny Szent Imri, and proceeded to Maros-VLsLrhely (which latter place we had made our headquarters during our excursions in the MezosBg and SzBkler Land), and shortly afterwards went on to Klausenburg. From Klausenburg we made several short and not very productive trips. Harvie Brown visited the salt-mines of Maros-UjvLr; and we paid a visit to Szent MihLly, by the kind invitation of Count Albert v. BBnQ. Here we procured a fine specimen of the Short- toed Eagle, the only one seen by us in the country.

We ought to have mentioned before that, previously to our visit to the Mezoskg, we spent a week at HLtzeg in the south- west of the country, and in the Klopotiva valley*, under the chamois-haunted RetjezLt, we obtained specimens of the Meadow-Bunting and Rock-Thrush. At RBa we had the pleasure of inspecting the rich collection of birds, fish, and minerals belonging to Herr AdLm v. Buda, in whose house we were hospitably entertained during the greater part of our stay in that neighbourhood. To Herr Buda we are also indebted for a full catalogue of the birds of his district and some notes thereon. Most.of those have been procured by his brother, Herr Carl v. Buda, and himself near HLtzeg.

Per- haps no land in Europe, of its size, is so rich in metals, yield-

* This river, a t different parts of ite course, takes different names. Above the village of Klopotive and in the mountains it is called Le- pusnik; at the entrance to the gorge, Klopotiva; and lower down, Sebes (or swift-flowing).

One word as to the mineral wealth of Transylvania.


ing gold, silver, tellurium, copper, lead, quicksilver, and iran ; the annual yield of the former is considerable. Iron is especially abundant near Petroskny, in the south-west.

Having thus given a rough outline of our routes, and at- tempted to describe the more remarkable features of the country through which we passed, a word or two as regards its sporting-capabilities may not be out of place.

The fisherman need not look for any great amusement ; for though most of the mountain-rivers contain trout and grayling, they are generally rather small. Perhaps the best stream in the country is the Sebes (before mentioned), which flows from behind the Retjezfit, and joins the Strell near Hfitzeg : the trout are not bad, running sometimes to one or two pounds in weight; and the grayling-fishing is really good ; almost any. number may be taken in autumn when weather and water are in good order. The Sil also, near Petroskny, is a fine-looking river, and used to be celebrated for its so-called ‘( salmon-trout ” (Salrno hucho) ; but these had quite disappeared when we saw it, having been blown up with dynamite, a method of fishing very commonly practised in the country, but now forbidden by law. Indeed fly-fishing is gaining ground, and English tackle is in great demand.

More use will be found for the gun than the rod; and if the sportsman will work for it, he will find that he can make fair and varied, though rarely large bags. Transyl- vania is probably the best country in Europe for bears; and notably the best districts are those of Gorgkny Szent Imri and H4tzeg. The first is, contrary to all precedent, preserved ; and the result is, that, being seldom disturbed, the bears have increased greatly, and do serious damage to the live stock of the neighbourhood. The Ober-Forst- meister assured us that, on one occasion, seventeen were seen in a single drive, nine of them coming to one gun, and the whole of them escaping”. I n all other districts the sport is free. A large foirce of beaters is necessary in most places ;

* In 1851 eighty-six beam were killed in Transylvania ; in 1853 sixty- (‘Handbnch der Landeskunde Sieben-

.

five ; and in 1854 eighty-six. biirgens.’)


and these generally turn out (menJ women, and children) by order of the magistrate. Other small woods and ravines can be tried more quietly : a few Wallachs, who are up to their work, and three or four guns will do well enough. These Wallachs are by far the best sportsmen of the country, having the ways of the woods and game thoroughly by heart, and for the sake of the sport, and a little tobacco and schnaps; they will do any thing. We have never seen better perform- ances than their quickness and endurance i; driving chamois, of which there are in some districts a good number. The Retjez&t and some of the adjoining hills are also preserved by a club of sportsmen; but outside their territory there is plenty of ground and a good show of chamois. The country is rocky, with here and there a good deal of creeping pine, but not difficult to get over. The views to be got looking down into Wallachia, over an endless series of summits and ridges, are alone worth the trouble of going up. The sportsman should take a small tent with him ; or he will often be very cold, and always well bitten, the poor unsquared-log huts of the summer shepherds being full of wind-holes and fleas.

Wild boar do exist in' the country, but are by no means numerous; towards the south-west is about the best district to look for them. Wolves there are everywhere, but they are hardly ever to be seen except in winter". Lynx are getting rare, but are occasionally got in the south and north-east ; and rarer still is the marmot, a specimen of which a gentle- man told us he had shot in the Fogaras district five years ago ; they have also been got on the Retjeziit, and on the Rodnaer and Sz6kler frontier mountains. Red deer are scarce; the best district is the Rothenthurm pass and other parts border- ing on Wallachia. Roe deer are common enough; and it seems to us that they are very large. One may go a long way without seeing a hare ; its merits for the pot, for which it is in most places killed at all sizes and times, will account

* One young one, brought home by Danford, having been presented to him by Professor Encz, of Klausenburg, is now in the Zoological Gardens, Regent's Park.


for this. Other animals, such as wild cat, fox, badger, otter, yellow- and white-breasted martens, and the smaller carni- vora are pretty numerous. The ibex and aurochs have long been extinct. Of the former we have not been able to learn much. Of the latter, Bieltz, in his ' Fauna der Wirbelthiere Siebenbiirgens ' (p. 35), says, on the authority of Benko, that some were seen in March 1775 in a wood at Fiile, in thedis- trict of Udviirhely-that, according to Fridvaldszky (' Mi- neralogia Magni Principatcs Transsilvaniae,' Claudiopoli A.S. MDCCLXVIII., p. 6), they especially frequented the woods of Gyergyo, in the neighbourhood of a marsh; and that Pe- tBnyi says that the last killed in Transylvania was in the year 1814.

There are a good many Capercaillie in the quiet pine-woods pretty high up ; but they are #only to be got at during the pairing-season. Hazel-G;ouse, too, are common in the lower woods, but are not easily found, unless the call-system be adopted. Black game are scarcely worth mentioning, as far as sport is con- cerned ; they are so scarce, and in such out-of-the-way places. In the grain-districts one would expect to find a good many Partridge8 ; but this is not the case ; the coveys are few and far between-want of preservation, and the number of Hooded Crows and birds of prep, making life rather hard for them. Quails are numerous; but the best sport to be got is the autumn Woodcock-shooting, particularly at GorgGny and in the HQromseg, while for Snipe the salt marshes near Maros- Ujvh would be well worth trying. From what we saw of the MezosBg, we should think that the winter Duck-shooting must be capital; better ground one could not wish for than its numerous small lakes connected with reedy marshes ; and in the neighbourhood of Thorda there are always a few Bus- tards. On the whole we should say that luck and perseve- rance have a good deal to do with sport in Transylvania.

It now remains for us, before commencing the second part of our paper, to express our obligatious to the many kind friends for the frank and hospitable way in which we were everywhere received and our plans assisted. Especially are

. Feathered game is certainly not abundant.

the Birds of Transylvauia. 197

our thanks due to Professors Finiily and Eiicz, of the Klausen- burg University ; to Baron Houzar J&nos, of that town ; and Count BBnffy BBla, of Szent Mihay; and to HH. Buda Adhm, and Carl, of Rka, near HBtzeg, and Herr Ugrou, of Zsih; and to Herr Adalbert Fikker, k. k. Ober-Forstmeister at GorgBny Szent Imri; also to our friend and fellow-traveller, Herr Klir J&nos, the curator of the Klausenburg Mu- seum, who accompanied us on all our trips, and to whose valuable assistance, hearty cooperation, and good fellowship we owe much of the success and pleasure of our trip. We also received valuable information from Herr A. v. Pelzeln, of the k. k. Zoological Museum at Vienna.

We must not forget also our kind friends at home for much ready assistance given to us. Professor Newton has helped us to the names of several of the works we have consulted, and given us other useful aid. Messrs. E. R. Alston and H. E. Dresser looked over our collections and assisted us in difficulties of nomenclature &c. ; and Mr. J. E. Harting gave us useful information on several points of importance.

In the preparation of the following list of Transylvanian birds, we have, as far as possible, compared our own notes with the following :-

1. BUDA, Herr Adtim. M.S. Catalogue of and Notes on his Collection at RBa, near Hritzeg.

2. BALDAMUS, Dr. ‘( Beitriige zur Naturgeschichte einiger dem S.O. Europa’s angehorenden Vogel,” Naumannia, 1861, pt. 1, p. 28, pt. 2, p. 70, pt. 4, p. 39, and 1862, pt. 2, p. 81.

3. BIELTZ, Herr A. E. ‘ Fauna der Wirbelthiere Siebenbiirgens.’ 8vo : Hermannstadt, 1866.

4. -. (‘ Beitrag zur Unterscheidung der rabenartigen Vogel,” Ver handlungen und Mittheilungen des Siebenbiirgischer Vereins fiir Natur- wissenschaft, IV. Jahrgang, p. 65.

“ A Retjezht helyviszonyi Be termdszetrajzi tekintetben,” Az Erdelyi Muzeum-Eaylet Bvkonyvei, IV. Kotet, 11. Fiiset, p. 72*.

Hermannstadt. 5. CSLTO, Herr Jhos.

* “ The Retjezit in its Local and Natural-History relations.” In the annual publications of the Transylvanian Museom Society, vol. iv. pt. ii. p. 72.

SEB, 111.-VOL. V. P

198 The Birds of Transylvunia.

0. Csdm, Hen. J h o s . “ A Stsgy menteneks mell6kviilgyeinek term6s- retrajzi leir6se”f Az Erd6lyi Muz. Egy. kv. V1. ICotet, 11. Fiizet, p. 104.

7. --. ‘‘ Sylvia luscinioides,” Verhandl. & Mittheil. des Siebenb. Vereins fir Natuiw. XIV. Jahrgang, p. 146.

8. FINGER,’ Herr Julius. ‘ Fauna Austriaca OmithoIogica-Verzeich- uias der V6gel des osterreiehischen Kaiseivtadtes.’ Wien, 1857.

9. HAUSMANN, H e n Wilhelm. .i( Turdus saxatilis,” Verh. & Nitth. des Siebenb. Vereins fur Naturw. XVI. Jahrgang, p. 107-118.

10. -. ‘‘ Vagelvarietaten aus Siebenburgen,” Verh. & BIitth. des Siebenh. Vereins fur Natnrw. XX. Jahrgang, p. 3.

11. KLAIWENBURG MUSEUM, MS. List of the Birds in. 12. LLzdn, Count K6linkn.

IIermannstedt.

‘‘ A madaialrrcil kiilijnas tekintettel xz Erddyben honos ftljokra”?, Az lGd61yi MLW. Egylet hv. I. IGtet, 11. Fiizet, 69. 1860.

13. - . “.4quiIa pennrta 6s SquiIa minuta,” t%, I. KMet, 111. Fuzet, 163.

14. -. ‘‘ Erdglyi madarainak Jegyzgke-Enumeratio avium Tram- sglvanicarum.”

15. -. “ Kurtze Beitfige zur Ornithologie Siebenbiirgens,” Ve1h & 1Iitth. des Siebenb. Vereins fur Naturm. X. Jahrgang.

16. 0 ~ ~ 6 , Herr Hermann. (‘ Falco subbuteo, Linnd.,” B d . Muz. E e v . 111. Kiitet, 11. Fiizet, p. 84.

17. -. ‘‘ kllattani KGzl6sek ’’I, Erd. Muz. E. kv. 111. I<. 11. P7. 1866.

91 V. ,, I. 30. 1869. f > IV. ,, I. 48. 18G7.

11 V. ,, 11. 92. 1870. 18. -.

19. -.

20. -.

‘‘ A hIezBs6g I.-A H6dos vagy Szarvaat6 6s Korny6ke”§,

6‘ A iVezos6g II.--,4 lIez&ZBh-Tohkti, tovhbbti, M6hesi,

“Erismaturs leucocephala, L.-A Magyar ornisban,” Az

Erd. Muz. E. hv. V. K. I. 8.

Bildi 6s Mezti-StiIyi t6zorozat”tll Erd. Muz. E. kv. VI. K. I. 42.

* -4 Natural-History description of the Valley of the Strell and its

7 (( On birds, with especial reference to the species breeding in Tran-

1 “Zoological Communications.” In Ann. Pub. Trans. Mus. SOC. 5 u The MezosBg 1.-The lake of Il6dos (Beaver), or Szarvas (Stag),

and its immediate neighbobhood.” 11 6‘ The Mez6s6g 11.-The lake-chain of &Iezi5-Zcih-TohBt, and, further,

of NtShes (i. e. abounding in bees), Bald, and Nezii-SBly.

adjacent Valleys.”

sylvania.”

0th the Nid?ficution of certnia ItidiuiL Birds. 199

Eggeuberger-f6le Miad. IiduyvlcereskedBs, IIoffiiiauii 0s p1zoluh. 1873. We have not been able to coasult this paper.

“Beitrag zur ornith. Fauna der osterr.- ungar. Monarchie,” Verh. der k. k. zoo1.-botanischen Gesellschaft in Wien, 1871.

22. STRTTEB, Herr. (Various species noticed.) Verh. & Mitth. dm Siebenb. Vereins fur Naturw. XV. Jahrgang, p. 236.

23. TSCHUSI-SCHMIDHOFEN, Victor Ritter von. ‘( Nucifrrcga Caryo- caktes.” A monograph.

Besides the above, there is a paper on the birds of the Theiss and Lower Danube, by Zelebor, which may be consulted, though it has not much bearing on Transylvania, along with Herr A. v. Pelzeln’s remarks upon the same in ‘ Journal fiir Ornithologie,’ 1864 (cf. Ibis, 1865, pp. 225, 226).

The Hungarian names (printed in italics) which we give are extracted from Bieltz and from various other sources. We have endeavoured to translate these, except where they are equivalent to the English, or are proper names, having no particular interpretation. As in other countries, the names undergo many variations in different parts of Hungary.

All the species observed by us during our present trip, or by Danford on his previous visit in the autumn of 1872, are indicated by an asterisk in the following list.

[To be continued.]

21. PELZELN, IIerr A. von.

I

XIL-On the NidiJication of certain Indian Birds.-Part IV.* By ANDREW ANDERSON, F.Z.S.

AQUILA HASTATA.

I should premise by stating that my excursion into the Saharunpore district, entailing a journey of over 700 miles, to and fro, with the thermometer standing at l l 7 O in the shade ( 1 6 8 O in the sun), was undertaken for the express pur- pose of securing nestling-birds, and not for the sake of be- coming possessed of eggs, of which latter I might have be- come the happy owner of no less than seven specimens. As

* For Part 111. see Ibis, 1874, p. 220. P 2

Documents

The Birds of Transylvania