ORXITIIOLOGICAL NOTES. 1)7 



in two, by his revengeful fellow-prisoner. Some time afterwards, the Buzzard 

 was allowed his liberty, but he rarely ventured very far away, returning to his 

 cage during the winter months : his usual abode was in a small wood near to 

 the house. A straight walk ran through the wood, and when any person entered 

 this walk, if the Buzzard happened to be at the other end, he would, with fixed 

 wings, glide, as quietly as an Owl, swiftly down the avenue, about the height of 

 the eye, and with out-stretched neck, approach so near the intruder, at such a 

 speed too, that it required some nerve to withstand his attack; but, upon arriving 

 within a foot of the face, he would gracefully turn away, and settle upon the 

 nearest tree. One day he came in this way behind my father, and whether he 

 knocked him down, or only knocked off his hat, I do not remember, but one 

 or the other, and it sealed his fate : my Buzzard was doomed to be shot, and 

 died accordingly, as incorrigibly dangerous, the following day. 



The Kestrel, (Falco tinnunculus,) and Carrion Cro7o, (Corvus Corone.) — Most 

 of your readers no doubt have often observed the Crow in pursuit of the Hawk 

 — his quick and sudden turns to escape his noisy advcrsar}"^; but, perhaps they 

 may not have seen "the tables turned," and the Hawk become the aggressor. 

 Last Saturday, the 8th. of March, I was witness to a scene of this kind: 

 a fine male Kestrel was in full chase after a Carrion Crow. How long the 

 hunt had continued I do not know, but they came past me near to the 

 ground. In vain the Crow tried to escape — his piu-suer was always close upon 

 him — up one side of the hedge, down the other, now high in air, now almost 

 on the ground. At last the Crow made a dash through a small plantation, and 

 the Hawk ros.) and settled on the top of one of the trees. The Crow had 

 something in his bill when he crossed me. It is remarkable that the 

 Hawk should have been a Kestrel, perhaps one of the most cowardly of the 

 Hawks; probably the Crow may have stooped down and snatched his prey 

 from him to make him so valiant. 



A White Bohin, (Erythaea rubecula.) — At Mrs. Empson's, of Ravendale, a 

 parish adjoining Swinhope, may be seen a Robin all but entirely white. It 

 comes to the window daily to be fed. I am told that it has been observed 

 two years, and that a labourer saw it last summer sitting upon its nest. 

 There is no distinction in colour between the breast and other parts; bill 

 and eyes, the usual colour, and one of the primaries is slightly edged with 

 brown. 



Since writing the above, I have heard of another variety of the Bobin; 

 namely, one of a pale buff or fawn colour, with the breast of the usual colour. 

 This has been lately seen in the parish of Swinhope. The peculiar delicacy 

 of the plumage, sets ofi" the brilliant red of his breast to great advantage. 



Greater Blaclc-ladced Gull, (Larus marinus.) — The Black-backed Cull is 

 not an uncom'.ma species on the coast at the mouth of the Humber. It is a 

 curious fact, that while the young, commonly called the Wagel, is constantly 

 seen inland, (indeed a flock of common Gulls, when feeding on the ploughed 



VOL. I. I 



