APPENDIX. 



MONTAGU'S HARRIER (page 12). 



At Winterbourne Kingston, on the 24th June 1887, whilst a 

 carter in the'employ of Mr. E. Besent was cutting a field of clover 

 with a mowing-machine, he disturbed a large hawk from her nest, 

 which was immediately joined by another equal in size, but of 

 lighter plumage. The sudden apparition of so large a bird fright- 

 ened the horse, but before the machine reached the nest, the carter 

 descried it. It was on the bare ground, about the size of a man's 

 hat, composed of grass and feathers, and contained four eggs, 

 which were bluish white, with very indistinct reddish spots, and 

 slightly incubated. On comparing one of these with a series in 

 the Natural History Museum it was apparent that it belonged to 

 Montagu's Harrier, Circus cineraceus. The grass in the neighbour- 

 hood of the nest was much damaged and trodden down. The birds 

 frequented the neighbourhood for some days afterwards. They 

 were seen in a field of sainfoin a quarter of a mile from the clover- 

 field before and after the 24th ; and during the course of cutting it, 

 in the month of July, the mowing-machine disturbed " a large brown 

 hawk." No nest was found, though Mr. Besent thinks there was 

 one destroyed by the machine. Some time afterwards I saw two 

 Harriers on the wing, either birds of the year or females, leisurely 

 beating a stubble-field within half a mile of Kingston. 



BLACK GROUSE (page 68). 



Sixty years ago, when the condition of the country was more 

 favourable to the bird's habits, and there was much less shooting 

 than at present, black game was more plentiful in Dorsetshire, 

 especially towards the Hampshire border. 



