i66 



THE BIRDS OF ESSEX. 



trap in 1887. Mr. F. Spalding informs me that a fine female in his possession 

 was killed at St. Osyth ini88i. Mr. T. Aldham, of Ulting, has one shot there by 

 himself about ten years ago. Mr. E. Curtis, jun. writes (29. 29, 188 r) : " On 

 January 20th, two Buzzards were seen hawking over the large reed-beds near 

 " the Gulf," between Barking and Rainham. A man named Sutton shot another 

 on the previous day. 



The Rev. J. C. Atkinson writes (36. 35) : 



" I well remember as a schoolboy [at Kelvedon] in Essex, some thirty odd 

 years ago [about 1830], that the nests of the ' Puttock,' as the Buzzard was in- 

 variabl}' called in that district, were more frequently found by us than those of 

 any other wood-building Hawk ; and many a hatch of young ' Puttocks ' it fell 

 to my lot to see brought withir. the old school-gates." 



Rough-legged Buzzard : Archibuteo lagopus. 

 A somewhat rare and irregular visitant chiefly during autumn and 

 winter. 



Mr. Hope writes it is 

 " common on the coast, first arriving 

 at the end of September, but coming in 

 flocks in very cold weather. I once saw 

 twenty-five hawking rabbits over a tract 

 of sand-hills within three miles of Harwich, 

 and obtained three of them. In early 

 autumn tliey seem to come from the east, 

 but in winter from the north." 



A pair killed man}' years ago at Epping 

 were presented by Henry Doubleday to 

 the British Museum, where they are still 

 preserved (Buxton — 47. 81). Mr. Clarke 

 notes (24) the trapping of a fine specimen 

 (presumably the one now in the Museum, 

 presented by S. Salmon) in High Baulk's 

 Wood, Saffron Walden, on iMar. 1st, 1836, 

 and the occurrence of another near Walden 

 in Nov., 1843. There is also a female 

 from Epping presented many years ago by 

 Henry Doubleday. Mr. Clarke also mentions the death of one at Shortgrove on 

 Nov. jrd, 1839. ^Ir. T. Brunton records one (23. 7844) shot by a keeper in 

 Hatfield Forest, on Nov. i8th, i86r. Dr. Bree records that during the winter 

 of 1862-63, three were killed at Oakley, two of them being a pair (29. Mar. 

 7, 1863). One was shot at Tillingham in or about Oct., 1876. Mr. F. Kerry 

 records (40. i. 258) a fine dark-coloured specimen shot at Harwich in Nov., 1876. 

 A fine female was shot by my uncle, Mr. David Christy, of Patching Hall, 

 on Dec. 19th, 1879, ^ft^r it had for about a fortnight frequented the meadows 

 beside the Chelmer at Broomfield, where I myself made an unsuccessful attempt 

 to obtain it. It was exceedingly fat (43. i. 63). About the middle of Oct., 1882, 

 one was shot near Berechurch by Samuel Palmer, a gamekeeper [Chelni'iford 

 Chronicle^ Oct. 29th). One of a pair was shot near Manningtree on Dec. ist, 

 1879 (29. Jan. 3) asiit was flying over with a full-grown rat in its claws. It is 

 " frequent in autumn," in the Colchester and Paglesham districts (Laver). Mr. J. F. 

 T. Wiseman informs me that one was shot at the latter place about the middle of 

 Nov., 1888. One was shot by Mr. Arthur Fitch at Whitley, Birdbrook, about Nov. 



ROUGH-LEGGED BUZZARD, l/lO, 



