PRELIMINARY CLASSIFIED NOTES 137 



with ochreous-white, while long feathers of the shanks, and the under tail-coverts 

 are of a pale rufous. Young in down white, [w. p. p.] 



2. Distribution. A summer resident in the south of England, but not 

 common, though it breeds fairly regularly from Devon, Gloucester and Salop in 

 the west to Lincoln and Norfolk on the east, but is decidedly scarce in the north 

 Midlands. It has, however, bred occasionally in Cheshire, Derbyshire, and York- 

 shire, and on one occasion is known to have nested as far north as Perth (Sir E. 

 Newton), but as it is a late breeder is probably sometimes overlooked. It has not 

 been found nesting in Ireland, but on the Continent its breeding range extends as 

 far as the Arctic Circle in Lapland and lat. 65 N. in Russia, south to the 

 Mediterranean and the Black Sea, but it is scarce in S. Spain and Greece. It is 

 also found in Western Asia, but is replaced by an allied race in the forests of North- 

 west Africa as well as in parts of Asia. During the winter months it migrates to 

 Africa, ranging south to Cape Colony and Natal ; and to North-west India in Asia. 

 [F. o. K. j.] 



3. Migration. A summer visitor, arriving in England during the second 

 half of May and leaving again in September. But there are many winter records, 

 which perhaps point to a slight passage from Northern Europe. The species is 

 rare in Scotland even as a migrant. It is a rare casual summer visitor to Ireland, 

 chiefly to the south-eastern counties (cf. Saunders, III. Man. B. B., 2nd ed., 1899, 

 p. 349 ; and Ussher and Warren, B. of Ireland, 1900, p. 144). [A. L. T.] 



4. Nest and Eggs. The hobby does not build a nest for itself, but 

 takes possession usually of an old nest of crow or magpie, and has been known to 

 dispossess the long-eared owl. Fresh oak leaves have, however, been found as a 

 lining, a habit which is recorded in the case of other Raptorial birds. Normally 

 the eggs are three in number, sometimes four, and occasionally only two. In the 

 rare cases where five are said to have been found it is possible that there may have 

 been confusion with the kestrel. As a rule, they are fairly distinguishable from 

 those of the other small falcons by their lighter and more yellowish colouring, though 

 occasionally clutches may be found which cannot with certainty be distinguished 

 from those of the kestrel. Such eggs, however, require the most careful authentica- 

 tion. They are generally mottled all over with light yellowish or pale brownish 

 red, occasionally showing darker markings, though some eggs are more boldly 

 marked with reddish brown. A few dark reddish markings are sometimes found, 

 and some eggs show much of a whitish ground-colour. Average size of 100 eggs, 

 1 -62x1 -28 in. [41'3x32 - 7 mm.]. Information as to the share of the sexes in 



VOL. IV. 8 



