BIRDS OCCURRING NEAR RICHMOND. 81 



long heather; I have once heard of the nest being found in the centre of a 

 field of young wheat. 



The Kedrel, (Falco tinnunculus,) is of course very abundant, breeding in 

 uU the cliffs about the town, and very frequently depositing her eggs in the 

 deserted nest of the Carrion Crow. 



The Sparrow-Hawh, (Accipiter nisus,) is even more comraon than the last- 

 named species; nunibcrs of eggs and young birds are taicen annually. 



The Buzzard, (Buteo vulgaris,) is very seldom seen, a pair, however, built 

 their nest in the spring of last year on a crag calkd the Red Scar, and 

 hatched five young ones; this must, however, be an unusual occurrence, as 

 Mr. Yarrell mentions four as the greatest number of eggs he has ever heard 

 of this species laying. 



The Tawny Owl, (Strix aluco,) is not very uncommon, and breeds in some 

 of the fir woods, but, owing to the antipathy in which all the Strigidce are 

 held by gamekeepers, is gradually becoming scarcer. 



IVie Barn Oiol, (Strix flanimea,) breeds in decayed trees, and in several of 

 the ruins in the vicinity of Richmond. 



Two specimens of the Shdrt-eared Owl, (Strix brach/otos,) have been obtained 

 during the course of the last month, but I have never heard of the bird 

 having been seen in the breeding-season. 



The Long-eared Owl, (Strix otus,) is frequently observed, and as specimens 

 have been killed in the months of April and May, there is no doubt that it 

 breeds with us. 



The Carrion Crotv, (Corvus corone,) and the Jay, (Corvus glandarius,) are 

 exceedingly plentiful, the latter especially so. 



The Bed-hacked Shrike, (Lanius collurio,) is rarely seen, but as my friend 

 Mr. Wood, has in his collection several eggs taken from nests near the town, 

 it is not improbable that it is more plentiful than is supposed. 



The Fieldfare, (Turdus pilaris,) is very common in winter; and the Redwinw, 

 {Tardus iliacus,) is also abundant, although not found in such numbers as 

 the preceding species. 



T]ie Bing Ouzel, (Turdus torquatus,) is sometimes obtained in December 

 and January, but the nest has never, to my knowledge, been found here. 



The Dipper, (Cinclus aquaticus,) is by no means rare; I saw during the 

 summer of 1853, no less than five nests within a circumference of four miles. 

 The situation in which the nest is placed varies considerably; of those above 

 mentioned one was fixed against the bank of the river, about three feet above 

 the surface of the water, another on a high rock overhanging a deep pool, a 

 third behifid a waterfall, where it shot over a steep descent, and the remaining 

 two under the arch of a small bridge. It appears to be an early breeder, as 



