6o THE ORNITHOLOGY OF DERBYSHIRE. 



The Sea-Eagle was never a resident species with us, 

 although many immature birds have visited Derbyshire, but 

 the rapid diminution of its numbers in its breeding haunts in 

 Scotland and Ireland will probably render such occurrences 

 very rare in the future. 



It is interesting to note that Messrs. Coward and Oldham, 

 in their recently published work on the " Birds of Cheshire," 

 record an instance of the breeding of the Hobby (always a 

 rare summer visitor) as late as the year 1894, on the north- 

 western border of the county. 



The Short-eared Owl has probably ceased to breed with us, 

 although it still occasionally visits us in the autumn ; and though 

 the Brown Owl is fairly numerous in our woodlands, the useful 

 Barn Owl appears to be getting scarcer, and the Long-eared 

 Owl is very local. 



Turning to the Crow tribe, which, equally with the Hawks, 

 share the enmity of the gamekeeper, we find that the largest 

 of the group, the Ra^'en, has become extinct as a resident, 

 though a stray bird still visits us from time to time. Strangely 

 enough, one of the last nests ever built in the county still 

 exists, although exposed to wind and weather for forty years. 

 It has quite a historic interest, for H. Seebohm visited it, 

 and mentions it in his work on " British Birds." During the 

 spring of 1900, I happened to be at Howden Chest, and was 

 surprised to see that the sticks which formed the foundation 

 of the nest were still plainly visible from the rock opposite. 

 Some part of the overhanging rock had evidently given way 

 recently, and the additional exposure to the weather will, no 

 doubt, hasten the destruction and decay of what still remains 

 of the nest. 



The Magpie, Carrion Crow, and Jay, though common enough 

 locally, where game preservation is not strict, are absent from 

 many parts of the county, especially if thinly wooded. The 

 first two species are easily killed from the nest, but the Jav 

 is more difficult to extirpate, and survives even in such game- 



