363 



HOBBY. 

 Faico subbuteo (Z.). 



Casual visitant, of rare occurrence, chiefly in spring and summer,, 

 but occasionally in winter. Has nested in one or two localities. 



Probably the earliest Yorkshire mention of this bird is 

 in Willughby's " Ornithology " (1678, p. 21), thus :— " This 

 form persecuting of Larks (which are its chief and particular 

 game) is not unfitly by Mr. Johnson [of Brignall, near Greta 

 Bridge] entitled Accipiter almidarius." 



Thomas Allis, 1844, wrote : — 



Falco subbuteo. — Hobby — Frequently obtained in different parts 

 of the West Riding ; occasionally met with in the neighbourhood of 

 York, but I have no mention of its capture in the East Riding.* 



The Hobby is only occasionally observed. The summer 

 months are the usual time for its appearance, but instances 

 are recorded of its having been obtained in the months of 

 October (the 31st), December, and February, contrary to 

 what might be expected of a species regarded as a summer 

 visitor to Britain. 



This bird is described by Hewitson in his " British Oology " 

 (1838), as " more common in some parts of Yorkshire than 

 elsewhere." J. Heppenstall of Sheffield in 1843 mentioned 

 it as pretty generally distributed in that district in the summer 

 months {Zool. 1843, p. 247), and Dr. Farrar of Barnsley, 

 writing in 1844, said it is far from uncommon. Whatever 

 may have been its abundance in former years in south York- 

 shire, it is now, as far as I have been able to ascertain, only 

 to be regarded as a rare casual visitor to that and all other 

 parts of the county. As regards north Yorkshire, we find 

 that in Cleveland, J. Hogg {op. cit. 1845, p. 1052), described it 

 as being a rare species and migratory ; and Mr. R. Lee of 

 Thirsk states that he has only seen two in his experience. 



A. G. More in his paper on the distribution of Birds in 

 Britain during the breeding season {Ihis, 1865), mentioned it 



* More recent information than that possessed by Allis proves 

 that the bird has occurred in the East Riding. 



