602 NOTES ON BIRDS OF PREY. 



surprised me, and this was that the Short-eared Owl (Otus 

 brachyotus), a true marsh-owl, lately came flying at the 

 Eagle-Owl on the open field in bright sunshine, and, sur- 

 rounded by Harriers, stooped vigorously at its larger rela- 

 tive. A successful shot put me in a position to verify the 

 species. 



In the two trials that I made at the owl-hut in the open 

 fields I shot three Common Buzzards (an old one and two 

 birds of the year) , ten Marsh-Harriers (mostly adults, but also 

 some young birds, all in much the same plumage), five Steppe- 

 Harriers (all old dark-coloured specimens), four Montagu's 

 Harriers (one an old male, two old females, and one a young 

 male in the dark grey-brown dress), three Kestrels (this 

 year's birds), and one Short-eared Owl, while on one afternoon 

 which I spent in watching near the Eagle-Owl in a little clump 

 of trees I killed two Kestrels, both old specimens, and saw 

 one Steppe-Harrier, which had, however, no desire to engage 

 in hostilities. 



The Buzzards were most numerous in the morning ; in the 

 evening only two appeared, but both of them were very 

 foolhardy. 



The utter absence of the Hen-Harrier (Circus cyaneus) in 

 this district was a very remarkable but well-ascertained 

 fact. 



During the beginning of August a Sea-Eagle, which was 

 still in the dark immature plumage, showed itself one after- 

 noon, and after flying through some of the little woods among 

 the fields vanished, and was seen no more 



