174 



THE BIRDS OF ESSEX. 



the summer of 1843. The male and female (both being fully adult), and three 

 young (which are now in Saffron Walden Museum) were all taken in the month 

 of July. In a private letter, Mr, Clarke informs me that he still recollects the 

 occurrence. He also states that a specimen was trapped at the Aviary, Audley 

 End, in 1823 ; that a fine male (now in Saffron Walden Museum) was killed at 

 Ashdon on Dec. 21st, 1835 ; and that another specimen in moult was killed at 

 Saffron Walden in 1844. 



Hobby : I^alco stibbuteo. 



A summer visitor, which used to breed commonly in the county, 

 but is now scarce, though instances of its having nested here within 



the last year or two are not 

 unknown. 



Mr. Clarke notes (24) that a 

 pair, both of which were shot, 

 nested at Debden in 1829, and 

 that another pair nested there in 

 1835. These were also shot and 

 then- eggs taken. One or other 

 of these pairs is now (or was 

 recently) in the Walden 

 Museum. Another pair, with 

 their young, were taken at Wal- 

 den in 1843. In the Walden 

 Museum are the following speci- 

 mens : — An adult male from 

 Debden, a 3'oung male, and 

 two adults, all from Saffron Walden ; the two latter in 1844 and the spring of 

 1858 respectively, Henry Doubleday, writing at Epping on September 20th, 

 1839, says (10) a remarkably fine one was shot there a few days earlier. He also 

 mentions (10) killing a male at Lexden in 1832. About Epping, it was already 

 "very rare " in 1835, according to E. Doubleday (15), though English (43. i. 24) 

 styles it an " occasional visitor," Henry Doubleday says (23. 13) it " occasionally 

 visits us in the spring, but its appearance is very uncertain." Yarrell says 

 (30. i. 54), " Mr. Doubleday has obtained two specimens in the vicinity of 

 Epping, and I have one that was shot near Bishop's Stortford." Mr. Parsons 

 describes it (11) as having been "rare "in Rochford Hundred in 1832, but W, H. 

 Hill wrote (12. vi. 452) in 1833 that it was "very destructive to Larks " round 

 Southminster, as though then fairly common there, W. D. King says (20) that 

 it was rare in the district around Sudbury in his time. He says : 



" Returning one evening last summer from a little excursion down our river, 

 a Lark passed over our heads hotly pursued by a pair of Hawks — I believe of this 

 species. We watched the pursuit with intense interest, and were glad to believe 

 that the poor little Lark at length escaped them. This, at first, we thought almost 

 impossible, as the Hawks darted at it alternately, giving it no respite : but, as the 

 chase led across the meadows in the direction of the town, perhaps the pursuers 

 felt a little intimidated, as they appeared to lose their quarry among some trees, 

 afterwards pursuing a straightforward course till they were lost in the distance. 

 I once witnessed a similar chase along the shore at Walton, in Essex. Whilst 

 writing this, I received a letter from an ornithological friend in Essex, who writes 

 ' Last night a boy brought me the finest adult Hobby I ever saw. I asked him 

 where he got it. The boy said, " It was eating our ficas (! ! !) and father shot it." ' " 



HOBBY, mate, 1/5. 



