ZOOLOGICAL NOTES FROM SOLWAV 81 



that he got his hand and cheek pretty severely scratched. The 

 " hawk " was set at large in the barn ; and none of those about the 

 place knowing what it was, a message was sent to me. To my great 

 surprise, I found it to be a particularly fine Honey Buzzard in the 

 most splendid condition. It was strangely tame, and allowed one 

 to handle it with perfect impunity. I stroked it all over, felt its 

 thighs and breast, to ascertain whether it had been wounded, but 

 could not find anything wrong. It was as plump as possible. There 

 were no signs whatever of escape from captivity : only its very " pet " 

 demeanour seemed to suggest that it had. But its whole aspect 

 changed to a fierce and fighting attitude whenever any of the collies 

 came near, when it would scream and try to strike them. It appeared 

 to thrive, although I am afraid the diet it was supplied with (mutton 

 cut from a braxy sheep) did not conduce to longevity. It died at 

 the end of three weeks, and the sequel is to me personally very sad. 

 Although, in anticipation of its fate, I had left word suited to the 

 occasion : the poor bird's body was after some days buried in the 

 midden, and although sought for, could not be got when I wished 

 to resurrect it ! The Honey Buzzard is certainly a strange visitant 

 to turn up at midwinter. It is of very great rarity in Solway, and 

 although Robert Gray says " specimens have been shot in Dumfries- 

 shire on several occasions " (" Birds of the West of Scotland," p. 49), 

 I have been able to authenticate only one such. That was a Honey 

 Buzzard shot at Drumlanrig in the first week of June 1833. It has 

 been stated that the fine specimen in a case in the Thornhill 

 Museum is a local bird, but that is not so. That Honey Buzzard 

 was taken to the Thornhill Museum by myself, and was shot long ago 

 in Aberdeenshire. 



SHORT SUNFISH (Orthagoriscus mola}. This was found en- 

 tangled, on 22nd September 1900, on the stake-nets at Port Luig, 

 on the Stewartry coast. It was only a small specimen, its measure- 

 ments being 15 inches long, 12 inches deep, and 3 inches wide 

 across the eyes. Weight, 7 Ibs. It was forwarded to the Carlisle 

 Museum. 



BLUE SHARK (Prionace glaucd). One measuring 10 feet 4 

 inches in length was captured in the Innerwell nets in Wigtown Bay 

 on i yth August 1900. Its weight was given as 2^ cwt. 



DEATH'S-HEAD MOTH. Continuing my notes ("Annals," October 

 1900, p. 249) on Acherontia atropos, I have to record imagos 

 caught one by myself, in Maxwelltown, on 25th September; one 

 sent me from New Galloway on 4th October ; one caught on the 

 eaves of a bee-hive at Kirkpatrick Juxta on 6th October. A larva 

 was found at Dalbeattie on 24th September. 



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