The Birds of Prey. 



mistaken for its rarer ally ; and the Eagle Tree at the extreme 

 west end of Yinney Ridge commemorates where one was shot, 

 some fifty years ago, by a Forest-keeper. The os^rey, however 

 (Falco haliceetus), still frequents the cc t in the autumn, 

 and circles over Christchurch Harbour fishing for his prey, 

 vhere, as Yarrell mentions, he is well known as the " grey- 

 mullet hawk," on . "count of his fondness for that fish. 



The Per*, jrine - Icon (Falco peregrinus), which breeds rn 

 the high Culver Cliffs of the Isle of Wight, and in the Lulworth 

 Rocks, is in the summer a regular visitor, and scours the whole 

 country. No year goes by without some half-dozen or more 

 being killed. 



Its congener the hobby (Falco subbuteo), known in the Forest 

 a " the van- winged hawk," comes about the same time as the 

 honey-buzzard, building in the old, deserted nests >f crows and 

 magpies, and even, as in one case, to my kuo\\ edge, in that 

 of the honey-buzzard. The bird, however, is becoming scarce. 

 For several years I have known a pair or two build in Buckhill 

 Wood, of which a ; ;etch is given at the end of this chapter, 

 but last year none came. It lays generally about the beginning 

 of June, though I have received its eggs as late as July 12th. 

 Yarrell says tb their number is three or four; but, with 

 Mr. Hoy,* I ha lever known the bird lay more than three, 

 and very often onl> two. 



The goshawk (Falco palumbariw) and the rough-legged 

 buzzard (Falco lag opus) are very rarely seen ; but, I fear, the 

 kite, although so plentiful in Gilpiu's time, has nearly deserted 

 this, like all other districts. Once, and once only, has it been 



* Illustrations of the Eggs of British Birds, by W. C, Ilewitson, 

 vol. i. p. 27. 



261 



