A HISTORY OF SURREY 



127. 



126. Honey-Buzzard. Pernis apiverus (Linn.). 



A rare visitor in summer ; only recorded 

 on about six occasions, although it bred for 

 years in the neighbouring county of Hamp- 

 shire (Bucknill, pp. 188-190). 



Peregrine Falcon. Falco peregrinus, 

 Tunstall. 



A rare visito^ Surrey not presenting the 

 species with any suitable sites for nidification. 

 Noticed in not quite a dozen instances (Buck- 

 nil/, pp. 190, 191). 



128. Hobby. Falco subbuteo, Linn. 



In former years a fairly common summer 

 visitor to the wild wooded districts, where it 

 doubtless often nested. At the present day 

 is of somewhat rare appearance, though a few 

 are occasionally seen, and of course meet with 

 the usual fate accorded by the keeper to all 

 hawks (Bucknill, pp. 192, 193). 



129. Merlin. Falco tesalon, Tunstall. 



A somewhat scarce winter visitor. It has 

 occasionally been shot and observed even in 

 recent years, but is nowhere more than a 

 straggler (Bucknill, pp. 193, 194). 



130. Red-footed Falcon. Falco vespertinus, 



Linn. 



A very rare summer visitor, only recorded 

 on four or five occasions (Bucknill, pp. 1 94-196). 



131. Kestrel. Falco tinnunculus t Linn. 

 The only common hawk in the county, 



but, even it, is less abundant by far than in 

 past years. A resident species in all the rural 

 districts, sometimes visiting the metropolis. 

 Much more generally distributed than the 

 sparrow-hawk. 



132. Osprey. Pandion baliaftus (Linn.). 



A rare straggler on its spring and autumn 

 migrations. It has been shot on about a 

 score of occasions in Surrey, and has occurred 

 in 1897, 1898 and 1899, so that it has not 

 yet ceased to favour us with its presence 

 (Bucknill, pp. 198-201). 



133. Cormorant. Phalacrocoraxcarbo(L\nn.). 

 A wanderer from the sea. Has been ob- 

 tained casually on some of the large lakes and 

 on the Thames (Bucknill, pp. 202, 203). 



134. Shag. Phalacrocorax graculus (Linn.). 

 Another marine visitor shot in the county 



two or three times (Bucknill, p. 204). 



135. Gannet or Solan Goose. Sula banana 



(Linn.). 



A straggler from the coast obtained in the 

 county upon about six occasions, usually being 

 picked up in an exhausted state (Bucknill, p. 

 204 or 205). 



136. Common Heron. Ardea cinerea, Linn. 



A resident, and though not perhaps so com- 

 mon as in years gone by, slightly on the in- 

 crease, it having been lately accorded con- 

 siderable protection in certain county localities. 

 There have been several well-known heron- 

 ries in Surrey, and the bird now nests in a 

 few well-chosen localities, the most interesting 

 of which is Richmond Park. There are also 

 some large colonies just outside the county 

 borders. From these come many of the spe- 

 cimens which are so often to be seen on the 

 quiet corners of our lakes and streams (Buck- 

 nill, pp. 205-208). 



137. Purple Heron. Ardea purpurea, Linn. 



Once shot on Frensham Pond (Bucknill, p. 

 209). 



138. Squacco Heron. Ardea ralloides, Scopoli. 

 Once killed at Vachery Pond, Cranleigh. 



The specimen is in the Charterhouse collec- 

 tion (Bucknill, p. 209). 



139. Night-Heron. Nycticorax griseus (Linn.). 

 A rare straggler, noticed only two or three 



times (Bucknill, pp. 209, 2io). 



140. Little Bittern. Ardetta minuta (Linn.). 

 A very rare visitor. Recorded on three or 



four occasions only (Bucknill, pp. 210, 211). 



141. Bittern. Botaurus stellaris (Linn.). 

 Formerly a regular winter visitor, but at 



the present day of occasional though not ex- 

 tremely rare occurrence, usually in severe 

 weather. Has been shot and noticed fre- 

 quently (Bucknill, pp. 211-214). 



142. White Stork. Ciconia alba, Bechstein. 

 Stated to have been once shot at Frensham 



(Bucknill, p. 214). 



143. Glossy Ibis. Plegadis falcinellus (Linn.). 

 A rare straggler, only recorded from Surrey 



once or twice (Bucknill, p. 216). 



144. Spoonbill. Platalea leucorodia, Linn. 

 Formerly a rare visitor, having been noticed 



two or three times, but not within the last 

 five-and-thirty years (Bucknill, p. 2 1 5). 



145. Grey Lag-Goose. Anser cinereus, Meyer. 

 A winter visitor which, though in years past 



often visited our larger waters, is at the present 

 day practically confined to overhead migration 

 so far as Surrey is concerned. So too is the 

 case with all the wild geese. It was some- 

 times shot by the early local ornithologists 

 (Bucknill, p. 217). 



212 



