EAGLES 95 



a ' vanished bird ' ; it is sad to think that in all 

 probability but one pair of these noble birds 

 nested in 1910 within Great Britain; in view 

 of the rapacity of the egg-collector, it would be 

 unwise even to hint at the locality. 1 1 is pleasant, 

 however, to note that that miniature eagle, the 

 buzzard (no longer rightly to be termed the 

 * common ' buzzard), reared its brood with us, as 

 has been its custom for years past ; and not far 

 off the peregrine, in like manner, nested undis- 

 turbed. The raven, too, in spite of all perse- 

 cution, still holds its ground ; while the grey or 

 hooded crows receive each autumn such large 

 additions from the far north that their numbers 

 show no reduction. 



Some years ago an instance occurred here of 

 the pairing of a grey or hooded crow with a 

 black or carrion crow ; a similar case was noted 

 by the writer many years ago in an adjacent 

 district; and the like has frequently been recorded 

 from localities where these two crows appear to 

 meet. It seems to confirm the view that the 

 two forms are to be regarded rather as racially 

 than specifically distinct. Rooks have their 

 colony just on the border of our area ; and the 

 jackdaw, here as everywhere, is increasing to a 

 degree that almost threatens a plague. 



Strangely enough, the magpie is entirely 



