58 ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES. 



lands, is seldom without one or more in their company,) I am not aware of 

 ever having observed one in mature dress over the sea-bank. The Wagel 

 too, while inland, is one of the least shy of the Gulls, but when he dons the 

 plumage of the black back, he is, decidedly, one of the most wary. 



Common Lark, (Alauda arvensis.) — On Tuesday the 20th. of March, 1849, 

 I was riding with a friend in the neighbourhood of Louth, in Lincolnshire, 

 when I remarked to him, that a Common Lark was perching on the hedge 

 by the road-side. I could not be mistaken in the species, as I was close to 

 it; it rose, flew fifty yards, and again settled upon the hedge; being disturbed 

 a second time, it lit, (the usual resting-place of the species,) upon the ground. 



Swinhope Jiectory, March 18^^., 1851. 



cOniitljDlngirEl lihks. 



BY R. A. JULIAN, ESQ., JUN. 



Occurrence of Honey Buzzard, (Pcrnis apivorus.) — I received in July 1850, 

 a very fine male bird of this species from Belbin, gamekeeper to the Earl of 

 Morley. He informs me that he first observed it flying off" a Pheasant's nest, in 

 the cover adjoining his house, in which there was one egg sucked out, and another 

 broken; he immediately set some gins, and caught it a few hours afterwards: 

 on dissection, there was nothing decisive in its crop, but something which had 

 much the appearance of grass or moss. 



Marsh Harrier, (Circus aeruginosus.) — While Snipe-shooting on Dartmoor, 

 December, 1849, I saw two of these birds; and a warrener there informed me 

 that many years ago, in a very severe winter, he destroyed eight of them in 

 one week. 



Montagus Harrier, (Circus Montagui.) — T have a pair of these birds that 

 were caught in a gin at Brushworthy Rabbit-warren, Dartmoor, October, 

 1889. 



Great Gray Shrike, (Lanius excubitor.) — One of these birds was shot, 

 November, 1849, at Mrs. Walker's, Robourough, near Plymouth, by one of 

 her servants, who, on seeing it was an unusual bird, immediately procured a 

 gun and killed it. I never heard of more than one being obtained in this 

 county before this bird. 



Girl Bunting, (Emberiza cirlus.) — These birds are common in this neighbour- 

 hood (South Devon,) particularly in the vicinities of Yealmpton and Plymstock, 

 residing with us all the year, and in winter feeding at corn stacks with the 

 yellow species, which the female bird very nearly resembles. The male will 

 sit singing on a favourite tree near the nest for hours together: the song 

 is very similar to the commencement of the Yellow Bunting's, several times 

 repeated^ and the call note resembles the shrill chirp of the grass mouse. I 



