MISCELLANEOUS X0TICE3. 209 



barred with dusky white; throat, belly, and legs, white, curiously marked with 

 bars of brown, pear, oval, and heart-shaped. The entire plumage is a rare 

 instance of nature's harmonious colouring, and the hues are like the moss and 

 snow-tinted hills of the Falcon's native clime. — Inverness Courier. 



Occurrence of Hen Harrier, (Circus cyaneus.) — A very fine specimen of this 

 bird was obtained near Ashburton, June 12th., 1851, and is now in the 

 collection of the Rev. C. Bulteel, Holbeton Vicarage. — E. A. Julian, Jun., 

 Laira House, Plymouth, June 23rJ., 1851. 



Occurrence of Fork-tailed Kite, (Milvus vulgaris.) — I saw a beautiful bird of 

 this species at Trowlsworthy Rabbit-warren, Shaugh Moor, June 17th., 1851. 

 The Rev. C. Bulteel informs me he saw a pair there on June 18th.; and 

 the warrener told me he had seen a single one there almost every morning 

 for the last two months. — Idem. 



Bare Captures. Woodcoclcs. — As Matthews, gamekeeper to the Rev. J. Holmes, 

 of Brooke Hall, Norfolk, was going his usual rounds on Monday, May 5th., 

 1851, he met with the rare incident of springing an old Woodcock, with four 

 young ones, in Brooke wood; two of the latter he succeeded in taking, but 

 having neither dog nor gun, the old bird, with the remainder of her young, 

 escaped his activity. A similar capture was made in the same wood some 

 fourteen or fifteen years since, when an old bird, with three of her young, 

 was taken. Another pair of young Woodcocks were also captured early this 

 month, in the Preserves, at Holkham, Norfolk, which appeared, by their 

 plumage, to be about three weeks old. The appearance of a few of these 

 birds remaining to breed with us has become rather more common of late 

 years, though still classing amongst the rare occurrences. — Ipswich Express, 

 May 2lst., 1851. 



Note on the Cnchoo. — September 5th. A young Cuckoo was shot to day near 

 Liskeard, and sent to me for preservation. On dissection it proved to be a 

 male bird, and very fat: the gizzard lined with hair, and containing the 

 remains of caterpillars. A few of the scapulars and upper tail coverts on the 

 left side, with the first, second, fifth, sixth, and seventh tail feathers, were of 

 the adult plumage and perfectly developed; but on close inspection, I could 

 not find any other trace of moulting. Qiioeref Would this arise from natural 

 moult, or were the original feathers destroyed by accident, and replaced by 

 those of the adult colour? — Clement JacJcson, East Looe, September 10//i., 1851. 



Note on a Kingfisher's Nest. — On Saturday, June 14th., 1851, I found a 

 Kingfisher's nest in the Crag Pit; it contained two eggs; the nest, if it can be 

 called one, lay some little way back in the bank, and on a slight depression 

 of the soil lay the two milk-white eggs, immediately under which were a 

 tiumber of very minute fish bones, mixed up with the Crag. A most unpleasant 

 smell arose from some black matter, which we found nearly at the mouth of 

 the hole, while digging into the nest. This Crag Pit, which is in a garden, 



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