224 



The Rough-legged Buzzard is "wanting" in recent lists of county birds.* 



As to the smaller hawks, they are annually thinned out, the Kestrel and 

 Sparrowhawk alone being regarded as common. 



The handsome Hobby, and whatever " hold " it formerly had with us, has 

 become almost as rare as its prototype, the Peregrine. Still it bred near Hereford 

 a few years ago. 



That miniature falcon, the Merlin, must now also pass into the list as a rara 

 avis. Nevertheless, a pair were trapped last year (1883) on the Bishopswood 

 Estate, even to the regret of the gamekeeper himself ! 



The Harriers, forming a connecting link between the nocturnal and diurnal 

 birds of prey, were probably never plentiful in Herefordshire, owing to the absence 

 of flat, open, marshy, or gorse-covered land. Recently they have not been ob- 

 served. The Marsh Harrier is a desideratum. There have been two Hen Harriers 

 killed within the last twenty years, and possibly others not recorded. 



Of Owls, I do not think any of the now rare species ever occupied a very pro- 

 minent place. The brown or Wood Owl, and the white or Barn Owl, are nearly as 

 numerous as formerly. The latter perhaps rather less so, thanks to the mistaken 

 zeal of some farmers. The long and short eared owls are still less plentiful. 



The second order, viz., Insessores (orperchers) contains by far the most numer- 

 ous species. Through the untiring efforts of the Rev. F. O. Morris, our songsters, 

 and others useful in many ways, have Government protection. Hence they are 

 on the increase, and for their comfort and convenience perhaps no county is more 

 eligible than our own. 



The Nightingale is not more common than of old. To hear him to perfection, 

 you should seek the depths of our woods in the early days of May. The males 

 arrive about the 20th April ; the females a week or ten days later. During the 

 pairing, nest-building, and egg-laying period, the male sings lustily on fine nights, 

 and in a desultory manner during afternoons. If a second male be in the neigh- 

 bourhood, a rivalry is created and one bird will try to out-sing the other. Directly 

 the young are hatched, all song, worthy of being so called, ceases until the young- 

 sters are fully fledged, when, before leaving our country, a few rudimentary lessons 

 in music are given by the parents. The reason why they sing so much less here 

 than in Monmouthshire, Surrey, or Kent, may possibly be due to the absence of 

 the excitement caused by the rivalry of others singing round them. The birds are 

 much more shy here, too, than they are when they are more abundant. Many 

 species formerly judged uncommon are now thought to be less so. Possibly the 

 increased number of observers may in a measure account for this. 



Among such, is the interesting Dipper (met with more especially on the 

 Garron) ; the awkward-looking Hawfinch, which regularly breeds with us ; the 

 Grasshopper-warbler, with its cricket note. The handsome Cirl Bunting also has 

 come more under observation of late, and often passes for its congener, the Yellow 

 Bunting. 



It has since occurred. 



