PEREGRINE FALCON — HOBBY. 25 



of October, 1879 (H. A. Macplierson), and in the following 

 January an adult male was shot close to Banbury, and came 

 into my hands in the flesh. In the summer of 1882, as Mr. 

 W. W. Fowler informs me, a Peregrine was seen flying over 

 the village of Kingham, and on the 15th September in the 

 following year I saw one in the Sorbrook meadows near the 

 junction of that stream with the Cherwell. Flying up the 

 valley it made a stoop over a tree in which a number of 

 Woodpigeons were sitting, from which the latter flew up 

 with an unusually loud clatter of wings ; the Falcon did not 

 strike at them, but after sailing round the tree once or twice, 

 settled on a dead bough. In January, 1888, 1 examined in the 

 flesh a male in first plumage which was shot between Ban- 

 bmy and Williamscote, and on the 3rd of the same month a 

 very fine adult female was killed at Stanton Harcourt; this 

 is now in the collection of Mr. G. Arnatt, who also possesses 

 a pair w^hich he shot at the same place some thirty years 

 ago — the female being killed in the act of striking a pigeon. 

 He tells me that Peregrines occur in that neighbourhood in 

 most seasons, haunting the meadows in pm-suit of the wild- 

 fowl in the daytime, and retiring to Tar Wood. 



THE HOBBY. [^ 



Falco siibbuteo. 



The Hobby is a summer visitor, probably of annual oc- 

 currence. In some seasons several specimens have been shot, 

 as for instance in 1848, when two young and two old birds 

 were sent from Woodstock to Mr. T. Prater of Bicester 

 {Zoolofjist, p. 2297). Although the nest of the Hobby has 

 been discovered in a few instances only of late years, yet 

 from the fact of the adult birds occurring in summer, and 

 specimens in the plumage peculiar to them on leaving the 

 nest later in the year, they must breed with us pretty 

 regularly. A nest with the eggs was taken at North Aston 



