HOBBY. 135 



rarely. Mr. John Plant informs me that one was shot 

 at Barton-on-Irwell between 1830 and 1840, and m the 

 latter year it is stated in the Eeport of the Bury Nat. 

 Hist. Soc. (1871) that one was got at Simister Lane, 

 being now in the possession of Mr, Wright Johnson of 

 Prestwich. The same Eeport records the capture of one 

 at Bolton in 1870, and in a note supplied in 1871 to Mr. 

 Dreiser's " Birds of Europe," Lord Lilford writes : " A 

 young Hobby was shot in South Lancashire some years 

 ago by my father's gamekeeper, who told me that it 

 followed his pointer dog, as he was Partridge-shooting, 

 for a considerable distance, and kept stooping and strik- 

 ing the dog till he was quite disgusted, and came in to 

 heel." Byerley says, " Specimen shot at Knowsley, in 

 the Derby Museum. One at Crosby, — Mather," and 

 Mr. C. S. Gregson notes {Proc. Histor. Soc. Lane, and 

 Chesh., 1865-66) that in 1865 he was shown a male bird 

 which had been shot on Cuerdley marsh. Mr. E. J. 

 Howard informs me that he has examined a female at 

 Shaw Hill, Chorle}', which was shot in the middle of 

 June, 1878, by Colonel Crosse's gamekeeper, in the act 

 of carrying away a young Pheasant, and the Eev. J. J). 

 Banister writes that the Hobby has occurred in Wyres- 

 dale forest, but does not give any particulars. 



MEELIN. 



Falco iESALON, Tuustall. 



Local Names — Little HairJc, Tireedler. 



The Merlin is found breeding in small numbers on all 

 extensive tracts of moorland ; occurring in winter most 

 commonly near the sea-coast. It appears to be very 



