248 J. E. LITTLEBOY — NOTES ON BrRDS 



that stock-doves have been abundant at Woodhall Park, that they 

 rear two broods during the year, and build in hollow trees. 

 They commenced to lay eggs about the beginning of April, and 

 half-fledged young birds were found in August. I have before 

 reported that stock-doves are plentiful in Cassiobury Park. 



The Rev. J. A. Ewing, of Westmill Rectory, Buntingford, informs 

 me that stock-doves breed in a large gravel-pit at Westmill, the 

 holes in Avhich they nest being found at an elevation of 30 or 

 40 feet. Mr. Ewing has also been good enough to forward the 

 following anecdote : " Some years ago the game-keeper at Coles 

 Park put a ferret into a rabbits' burrow there, and strange to 

 say, out came a fox, a rabbit, and a pair of stock-doves." 



The Long-eaeed Owl [Asio Olus). — A fine specimen of the 

 long-eared owl was shot last January near Hatfield. 



The Shoet-eaeed Owl [Asio accipitrinus). — During January, 

 1881, short-eared owls were tolerably abundant in Hatfield Park, 

 and several were shot. These birds generally frequent open fallows 

 and heaths. Mr. H. G. Pordham reports that on IS'ovember 6th he 

 put up a pair several times from grassy fallows near Royston. 

 " They rose from the grass within gun-shot, and flew but a short 

 distance, circling round and settling, to be again put up. They 

 were seen about the same fields on a subsequent occasion." 



The Buzzaed [Buteo vulgaris). — Mr. George Platten reports that 

 a buzzard was shot in Hatfield Park in the year 1879, and I am 

 informed by Mr. D. Hill, of Pinner, that one was captured in 

 February, 1881, near Harpenden, by Mr. H. Cox. 



The Hobby {Faico Suhbuteo). — We are indebted to Mr. George 

 Platten for information respecting the occurrence of the hobby, a 

 bird that is at present very scarce in Hertfordshire. It seems that 

 a hobby was shot during 1879 in Hatfield Park. 



The Pheasant {Phasianus ColcMcus). — Under this head it is my 

 duty to record a singular circumstance reported by Mr. A. H. Long- 

 man's gamekeeper to have occurred at Shendish, near Hemel Hemp- 

 stead. A pheasant having made her nest close to a public lane, 

 the eggs were removed as they were laid, and when thirteen had 

 been obtained, were placed under a domestic fowl for incubation. 

 In due time eleven young pheasants were hatched, and it was 

 soon noticed that every one of them was devoid of front toes. 

 They were all, as nearly as possible, alike in their deformity, the 

 tarsi terminating abruptly, with only the small back toe remaining. 

 It is difficult to account for so singular a freak of nature. I 

 inquired of the gamekeeper whether he thought it possible that 

 either of the parent birds could have been caught in a trap or 

 had its toes injured. He replied that he saw the hen-pheasant 

 constantly and was quite certain that her toes were perfect; about the 

 cock lie could not speak quite so positively, but he believed that theie 

 Avas not a maimed bird on the estate. Nine of the young pheasants 

 died within a few days of being hatched, two lived for several 

 weeks, but could not be reared. I took the liberty of sending the 

 particulars of this case to our distinguished honorary member, 



