BIRDS 



95. Marsh-Harrier. Circus aeruginosus (Linn.). 



Locally, Moor-Buzzard. 



Mr. Babington (Potter, op. cit. App.) recorded one 

 seen and another killed at Buddon Wood in 1841, by 

 the keeper of Mr. G. J. D. Butler Danvers. Harley 

 said Adams told him that he used to take it in his 

 vermin traps very frequently before the inclosure of 

 Charnwood Forest (1811), and the species used to be 

 met with more recently about the wild, gorsy land 

 lying above Whitwick, called the ' Waste,' whence 

 he had seen specimens brought, but even in his time 

 it was growing rarer. 



96. Hen-Harrier. Circus cyantus (Linn.). 



Locally, Blue Hawk. 



Mr. Babington (Potter, op. cit. App. 66) recorded 

 one seen at Thringstone in 1841, and Harley said 

 that he once winged a partridge in barley-stubble, and 

 on the dog attempting to retrieve it the ' blue hawk ' 

 carried it away, notwithstanding the discharge of the 

 gun and the shouts of the bystanders. He further 

 stated on the authority of Adams, the keeper, that it 

 used to nest in Charnwood Forest regularly before the 

 inclosure, as also in other parts of the county. 



97. Montagu's Harrier. Circus cineraceus (Montagu). 



This is a new record for the county, and is founded 

 on a stuffed specimen I purchased from Pinchen for 

 the museum in 1893, which he stated had been shot 

 at Heath Farm, Earl Shilion, some years ago. 



98. Buzzard. Buteo vulgaris, Leach. 



Of accidental occurrence, but formerly resident. 

 According to Mr. Babington (Potter, op. cit. App. 65), 

 two were shot near Charnwood Heath in 1839, one 

 of which came into the possession of Mr. Thomas 

 Gisborne, the other of Mr. Kirby Fenton. One was 

 killed in Dalby Wood in 1879 (Widdowson). Har- 

 ley appears to have taken its eggs in the outwoods 

 skirting Charnwood, probably in the exact spot where, 

 as he wrote, ' the species used to nestle in some lofty 

 Scottish fir-trees situated on a rising knoll or rounded 

 eminence in the lower parts of the outwoods near to 

 the brook which passes thereby, and flows onward 

 through the town of Loughborough.' According to 

 Harley it appeared to breed also at Bardon, Belvoir, 

 Donington, Gopsall, Martinshaw, and at Oakley and 

 Piper Woods, but was increasingly rare. Mr. W. T. 

 Everard wrote on 15 Aug., 1899: 'I believe the 

 buzzard was shot in the winter of 1 876. I am writing 

 from memory, as I have no note of the date. I re- 

 member quite well that the snow was on the ground, 

 when my father's groom, Edwin Middleton, came and 

 told me that a rare bird was feeding at some bullock 

 troughs in a field adjoining Bardon Hill House (the 

 field where the new church is built) and thinking it 

 would make a nice addition to any collection of 

 birds, we took our guns and stalked him. I believe 

 that Edwin Middleton fired the actual shot.' 



99. Rough-Legged Buzzard. Buteo lagofus (J. F. 



Gmelin). 



A winter visitant of accidental occurrence. Harley 

 recorded that in the autumn and winter of 1 8 3 9-40 

 no less than thirty were procured in this county and 

 Nottinghamshire. Of these, five were captured in 

 Charnwood Forest, and three others in Bradgate 

 Park. One of the latter a female shot on 1 2 Nov., 



1839 was examined by Harley. In its crop were 

 found rabbits' fur, pieces of flesh, small bones, and the 

 feet of what appeared to be the field-mouse. In the 

 stomach were rabbits' fur and small bones mixed with 

 animal matter. Another (a male) captured by Adams 

 in the grounds at Bradgate two days afterwards was 

 found on examination to contain some elytra of beetles. 

 Probably the third is the one in the ' Bickley collec- 

 tion,' Leicester Museum, which was shot in Bradgate 

 Park, 15 Nov., 1839. There is another in the Bickley 

 collection which the late Mr. Widdowson believed to 

 have Jseen shot at Stathern Hills. Mr. N. C. Curzon, 

 Lockington Hall, writes : 'A rough-legged buzzard 

 was shot here in November, 1 876.' One was reported 

 in the Field of 21 Feb., 1880, thus : ' It may 

 interest some of your readers to know that I shot a 

 rough-legged buzzard last night, while waiting for 

 wood-pigeons in a small covert near Ashby-de-la- 

 Zouch. H. G.' Mr. T. Andrew of King's Stand, 

 Leicester Forest East, informs me that he shot a 

 rough-legged buzzard at that place in November, 

 1888. Mr. W. Whitaker shot one at Thornton on 

 2 Nov. 1891, and the late Dr. Macaulay stated that 

 Pinchen, who skinned it, said it was a female. 



Mr. G. Frisby writing in November, 1906, says : 

 ' Two independent witnesses claim to have seen this 

 bird, although unfortunately I have missed it. Mr. 

 W. Moss twice at Loughborough, and a good observer 

 once at Quorn.' 



100. Golden Eagle. Aqulla chrysaetus (Linn.). 

 Recorded in the field of 16 November, 1895, by 



Mr. H. S. Davenport, as having been seen at Skef- 

 fington, 24 Oct., 1895. 



101. White-tailed Eagle. Hallaetus alblcllla (Linn.). 

 Locally, Cinerous Eagle (the young). 



Of rare and accidental occurrence. H.irley, in 

 his fair-copied MS., wrote : ' A fine example was 

 captured by Mr. Adams in Bradgate Park on 

 26 December, 1840.' 



In Babington's list of birds (see Potter upon the 

 occurrence of the golden eagle) Harley states that this 

 refers to the present species, and further, that the speci- 

 men was in the possession of the late Lord Stamford. 

 Probably Potter is incorrect as to date also, and the late 

 Rev. Churchill Babington told me he was not re- 

 sponsible for its insertion. The latter recorded a 

 specimen killed at Swannington by Mr. William 

 Burton (Potter, op. cit. App. 65). The late Dr. 

 Macaulay saw one which was shot by Sir G. Beau- 

 mont's keeper at Coleorton, 6 Nov., 1879 (Mid. 

 Nat. 1882, p. 62). It was seen some days before it 

 was killed, feeding on a rabbit. The same authority 

 also recorded that in the autumn of 1 88 1 Sir G. Beau- 

 mont observed an eagle soaring over his grounds, but 

 at too great a distance to distinguish the species. The 

 late Mr. Widdowson reported one taken at Stapleford 

 Park, but I have no particulars, and so cannot vouch 

 for its accuracy. 



loz. Gos-Hawk. Astur falumbarlus (Linn.). 



Now extinct in the county and very rarely visits 

 Britain. Harley wrote : 'As regards the distribution 

 of the Gos-hawk in Leicestershire, I may remark that 

 it used to occur not unfrequently in our woodlands 

 and forest wilds, but of late years it has become ex- 

 ceedingly rare.' He stated that it had been captured 



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