A HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE 



1 06. Kite. Milvus ictinus, Savigny. 



We can only write of this species as a bird 

 of the past, so far as Berks is concerned, though 

 no doubt it was once resident and bred regu- 

 larly in our woodlands. Even during the first 

 quarter of the last century it was fast becoming 

 rare, as Dr. Lamb says : ' Between thirty and 

 forty years ago (that is, between 1774-84) 

 very frequent about Reading, now (about 1814) 

 very rare ' (' Ornith. Bercheria '). Mr. Hewett, 

 in his book on the ' Hundred of Compton,' says 

 the kite was ' often seen on the Ilsley Down.' 

 One was shot about 1855 at Abingdon and 

 passed into the collection of the Rev. Murray 

 A. Matthew, who was told by the old bird- 

 stuffer, Osman of Oxford, that when he was 

 a young man the kite was quite common in 

 Berks. The late Rev. H. A. Macpherson 

 informed me (in lit.) that about 1875 the head 

 keeper at Radley shot a fine example, which 

 he sold to a member of Brasenose College for 

 half a sovereign. 



107. Honey-Buzzard. Pernis apivorus (Linn.). 

 A summer visitor, and now rare, though 



probably it once bred in our beech woods, 

 as it certainly did just over the boundary 

 at Bix in Oxon (Zeal. 1844). A female was 

 killed near Reading in June, 1 793, and another 

 in Windsor Forest, 1860. Clark Kennedy 

 (Birds of Berks and Bucks, p. 165) mentions 

 one in Montagu's collection, since placed in 

 the British Museum ; but I have failed to find 

 it there. 



[Iceland Falcon. Falco islandus, Gmelin. 

 One was reported in the Reading Mercury, 

 but it proved to be an escaped bird.] 



108. Peregrine Falcon. Falcoperegrinus,T\in- 



stall. 



This is a not uncommon visitor, generally 

 in spring or autumn, and hardly a year passes 

 that one or more are not noticed. A few 

 well-identified examples are as follows : April, 

 1866, a male killed near Hungerford ; another 

 near Newbury, January 24, 1867 a young 

 bird ; one killed at Wyfield farm, December 

 14, 1867, and another seen October 28, 1870 

 (Herbert, Newbury Field Club, 1870-1, p. 95); 

 a mature male shot at Park Place, 1875, and 

 in my possession ; one shot at Burghclere in 

 1880 (Palmer, < Birds of Newbury and Dis- 

 trict'); another killed at Pangbourne in 1882 

 passed through the hands of Mr. Hambling, 

 taxidermist, of Reading ; one killed at Bil- 

 lingbear in the winter of 1889-90 (Phillips 

 in lit.); an adult male from Bagley Wood 

 in December, 1890 (Fauna and Flora of 

 Radley and District, p. n) ; one on Decem- 



ber 21, 1896, at Compton Downs, and an- 

 other on April 6, 1 897 (A. Topp in lit.). Mr. 

 Cornish of Lockinge informs me in a letter that 

 it is occasionally seen on the downs on migration, 

 and that one was killed at Lockinge a few years 

 back. Mr. Newton of Crowmarsh informs 

 me it is fairly common near Wallingford, and 

 he has often seen it in autumn and winter. 

 An adult female was shot on November 2, 

 1901, at Aston Upthorpe (Bradshaw in lit.), 

 and another bird seen at the same time. 



109. Hobby. Falco sutbuteo, Linn. 



Locally, Rip-hook. 



This very long-winged and perfectly harm- 

 less falcon is a summer migrant, and in such 

 numbers that I feel sure it only requires pro- 

 tection to become almost numerous. This 

 unfortunately it does not obtain, and year after 

 year hobbies are destroyed, either through ig- 

 norance of their harmless nature or in mistake 

 for sparrow-hawks. I well remember the late 

 J. Gould discovering a bird of the year nailed 

 to the ' keeper's tree ' at Park Place in the 

 ' seventies ' ; he also mentioned a nest taken at 

 Billingbear. There is strong evidence that it 

 has bred near Reading, and a pair shot at 

 Aldermaston, July 23, 1897, are in the posses- 

 sion of Mr. Keyser. Mr. Wallis tells me he 

 has seen it at Finchampstead and also near 

 Wokingham. A pair were shot near Cumnor 

 and their nest taken (Zaol. 1883, p. 32). Mr. 

 Dewe writes to inform me that one was trapped 

 nearFaringdon in May, 1901, and another seen. 

 A pair nested at Pusey in 1901 ; both birds 

 were shot and preserved by Mr. Darby of 

 Oxford, together with one of the young. Mr. 

 Proger kindly tells me of another nest this 

 year (1902) which was successfully protected 

 and the eggs hatched off, but it is not advisable 

 to mention the exact locality. Mr. Topp, taxi- 

 dermist, of Reading, informs me that one was 

 killed at Goring Heath, September 21, 1901. 

 Mr. Newton says he sees them most years near 

 Wallingford. Dr. Palmer mentions that the 

 eggs were taken by Mr. E. Plenty at Burgh- 

 clere in 1883 ('Birds of Newbury and Dis- 

 trict '). The fact that a local name is given 

 to this bird proves that it is well known to 

 the natives. Mr. H. M. Wallis informs me 

 that it is a contraction of the word ' reap ' 

 hook, and the origin of it (as given him by the 

 user) is that the peculiar curve of the reap- 

 hook blade is like the curve of the hobby's 

 wings in flight. 



no. Merlin. Falco tssalon, Tunstall. 



This smallest of European falcons is a some- 

 what scarce visitor. One was killed in Wind- 

 sor Great Park in March, 1867 (Birds of Berks 



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