Food of Falconidae i93 



remainder of the rearing season gets his suppHes from the same easy 

 source. 



Passing the Kestrels and Sparrow-Hawks, which are really 

 common, there are several otlier members of the family which occur 

 in considerable numbers at various times and districts. There are 

 certain favoured localities where the Common Buzzard still breeds, 

 and is comparati\-ely common. His rough-legged cousin is only an 

 autumn \'isitor, i)ut common enough on the east coast of England 

 in some seasons, while in others hardly a bird is seen. The Harriers 

 are now scarce in their former haunts in East Anglia. The Marsh 

 Harrier is almost extinct in all parts of Britain. Montagu's Harrier 

 remains a not \-er\' uncommon summer visitor, and the Hen Harrier, 

 though decreasing year by year, is still seen from time to time, 

 generally between autumn and early spring. If, however, you go 

 further afield, to some of the Hebrides or parts of the mainland of 

 Orknev, for instance, xou find the Hen Harrier common in summer 

 and winter, and breechng in some numbers. Peregrines hold their 

 own \'ery well in the struggle for existence, at any rate in the north, 

 and I think their numbers remain undiminished, and may even be 

 on the increase. W'liile the White-tailed Eagle is practically 

 exterminated as a breeding species, the Golden Eagle is certainly 

 increasing year by year. 



As I have skins of most of these, in which the contents of the 

 crop and stomach were carefully examined and noted, I propose to 

 deal with these species briefly after I have finished my observations 

 on the Kestrel and Sparrow-Hawk. Finally, although this bird 

 is not one of the Falconidas, I shall say a word on the Little Owl 

 {Athene noctua), an introduced species, increasing very rapidly 

 in many parts of England, and likely to prove exceedingly 

 harmful. 



I am very greatly indebted to Mr. T. E. Gunn, of Norwich, my 

 bird-stuffer. Practically all the dissection-notes are his ; perhaps 

 I am responsible for two or three per cent., and any interest the paper 

 may have is really due to his work and not mine. He adopted the 

 following routine method for dealing with specimens that came in 

 for my collection. Weight and all measurements were taken first, 

 and the colour of the soft parts noted, and, if at all abnormal, 

 recorded in a water-colour sketch. Then the skin was removed 

 from the body, and prepared as a museum specimen. Finally, the 

 body itself was carefully dissected, contents of the crop and stomach 

 noted, sexual and other organs examined, and, where desirable, 

 preserved in formalin. These particulars were written on a label 

 which was attached to the skin. 



