188 MISCELLANEOUS NOTICES. 



what was told me by a very respectable man, and one whose word I have no 

 reason whatever to doubt; he is game-keeper to Su* Edward Bowater, of 

 Sotterby Hall. One day last year, I observed to this keeper, what a quantity 

 of Squirrels you have here. He said, — " Yes, Sir ; they increases because 

 master don't face to like to have 'em killed ; for my part, I wishes as how 

 they were all dead, for they do a wonderful sight of harm in the egg time 

 Not long ago, (pointing to a good sized oak, covered with ivy,) on that weny 

 tree, I saw two Thrushes in a wonderful taking with something that I could 

 not at the time see ; however, on looking more closely, I saw the nest, and 

 something on the top of it, that kept moving ; of course I thought it was one 

 of them Jays, as is rayther given to suck eggs ; so I fires into ye nest, and, 

 to my surprise, down falls, not a Jay, but a Squirrel, with his mouth full of 

 yelk. I calls that, Sir, stamming like being fond of eggs." — J. F. — Frostenden, 

 Feb. 23rd, 1855. 



The Honey Buzzard. (Pernis apivorus.) — About three years ago, a fine 

 specimen of this bird was caught in a vermin trap, in the woods, at Hawnes 

 Park, Bedfordshire, and is now stufied, and in possession of the owner of the 

 property.— J. C. T., St. Peter's College, Feb. 23rd, 1P55. 



Curious capture of a Peregrine Falcon. (Falco peregrinus.) — While walking, 

 the other day, in St. Arthur's Seat, in search of Botanical Specimens, I, to 

 my great astonishment, found, among a debris of iron stones, &c., a dead 

 specimen of that truly noble British Bird, the Peregrine Falcon. The speci- 

 men, — which was quite fresh, the appearance of the eyes indicating that it 

 had only been dead for a day or two, — was in beautiful plumage, with the 

 exception, that an almost exactly similar portion of the tip of each wing had 

 been clipped off, but still quite insufficient to hinder the bird's flight in the 

 least. From this circumstance, I came to the conclusion, that the bird had 

 either escaped from confinement, or that the tips of the wings had been 

 taken off" by shot. On skinning the specimen for preseiTation, I found some 

 small shot under the skin ; but they had evidently been there a long time, 

 as they were all embedded in cysts. I have been induced to send you 

 this communication in the hope, that some of the many readers of The 

 Naturalist might be able to give a probable explanation of the occurence of 

 the specimen under the above peculiar circumstances. — A. C. Maingay, 18 

 Salisbury-street, Edinburgh, March 19th, 1855. 



Curious fact in the Nesting of the Thrush. (Turdus nmsicvis.) — Last year, at 

 St. Peter's College, Radley, a pair of Blackbirds fMerula vulgaris) built 

 among the ivy, on the side of the chapel. Their nest happened to be placed 

 near to the entrance ; and the female, after she had laid four eggs, — being 

 disturbed by the constant passing by, or by some one going to her nest, — 

 forsook it. I took the eggs out of the nest, and was surprised, some time 

 aftenvards, when looking at the nest, to see a bird sitting on it ; I perceived, 

 on ai^proaching, that it was a female Song Thrush; (Turdus musieus ;) she 



