BIRDS 



and Bucks, p. 103), and several others are 

 mentioned by the same author. Dr. Lamb 

 mentions one shot near Reading, January 25, 

 1 794 (' Ornith. Bercheria ') ; another was seen 

 near Radley in September, 1895. A male was 

 killed at Thatcham, February 25, 1871, and 

 others have been seen (Newbury District Field 

 Club, p. 95) ; another was shot at Pangbourne 

 in 1884, and one on Compton Downs, April 6, 

 1897 (G. A. Topp in lit.}. Two have been 

 shot at Haines Hill within the last few years 

 about 1886 and on November 17, 1900. 

 One killed itself by flying against the rectory 

 windows at Wokingham, and Mr. Phillips, 

 who gives me this information, has its skin. 



III. Kestrel. Falco tinnunculus, Linn. 



Resident and fairly common, in spite of the 

 unnecessary persecution to which it is sub- 

 jected. I have often found its eggs laid in 

 holes in hollow trees as well as in chalk cliffs 

 near the river, and once in an old squirrel's 

 nest. 



H2. Osprey. Pandion halia'e'tus (Linn.). 



An occasional visitor on migration. One was 

 shot on the Thames at Pangbourne, and one 

 at Donnington in 1 8 1 o (' Ornith. Bercheria ') ; 

 another taken in Windsor Great Park in 1864; 

 one killed at Cookham 1864 (Birds of Berks 

 and Bucks, p. 161). Mr. Newton tells me a 

 neighbour has a specimen killed on the river 

 some three miles from Wallingford ; and Mr. C. 

 Barnett of Hambledon Mills mentions another 

 killed on the river near Aston some years ago. 



113. Cormorant. Phalacrocorax carbo (Linn.). 



A very rare wanderer. Dr. Lamb (' Ornith. 

 Bercheria') mentions one killed at Fulsham 

 near Newbury in November, 1803, and 

 Mr. W. D. Mackenzie tells me of another 

 shot by Mr. H. E. Rhodes at Hennerton on 

 April 14, 1871. 



114. Shag. Phalac rocorax graculus (Linn.). 

 Dr. Lamb has recorded a shag killed near 



Pangbourne in September, 1794. A second 

 example in immature plumage was taken on 

 the Thames at Blackfriars Road, and is pre- 

 served in the Oxford Museum. 



115. Gannet. Sula bassana (Linn.). 



On October 14, 1838, two of these birds 

 were seen near Wytham, and one, a male in 

 immature plumage, was killed and passed into 

 the collection of the Revs. A. and H.Matthews 

 (Zool. 1849, p. 2624). Another was shot at 

 Sandleford by Mr. McGregor in 1875 (Palmer, 

 'Birds of Newbury and District'). A third was 

 taken in an exhausted state near Newbury in 

 1865 and passed into the possession of Mr. 



Herbert, and a very fine specimen was cap- 

 tured near Reading on March 25, 1876, and 

 another near Hungerford, April 14, 1876 

 (W. H. Herbert, Trans. Newbury Field Club, 

 p. 250). 



1 1 6. Common Heron. Ardea cinerea, Linn. 

 Locally, Hern, Moll Hern. 



Common and resident. Mr. Walter Camp- 

 bell tells me (in lit.) there is now only one 

 heronry on the royal ground at Windsor ; it 

 is at Virginia Water, and consists of about ten 

 nests. Another heronry, consisting of some 

 twenty nests, is to be seen at Wytham Abbey, 

 the seat of the Earl of Abingdon, who in- 

 forms me they are slightly on the increase. 

 There is also one at Coley Park of about ten 

 nests, and another at Buscot of some twenty 

 nests. Just over our boundary at Fawley 

 Court is a recent heronry of thirteen nests on 

 the average. 



117. Purple Heron. Ardea purpurea, Linn. 

 An immature female was killed near White 



Waltham early in September, 1861 (Birds of 

 Berks and Bucks, p. 185). ' Some twenty-five 

 or thirty years ago an adult purple heron, 

 handled whilst in the flesh by Mr. G. Arnatt, 

 was shot on the Isis between Eynsham Bridge 

 and Bablock Hithe. It was preserved, but 

 afterwards was destroyed by moth ' (Birds of 

 Oxon, p. 185). Another was shot at on the 

 Thames in or about 1880, which fell dead on 

 Clapper's eyot on the Oxon side (H. M. 

 Wallis in lit.}. 



[Great White Heron. Ardea alba, Linn. 



One was killed on the Isis in September, 

 1833, of which we certainly have the right 

 to a share, the river being our boundary 

 (Yarrell, p. 179, ed. 4).] 



1 1 8. Night-Heron. Nycticorax griseus (Linn.). 

 Has been seen near Maidenhead, and was 



recorded in the Field by Sir H. Rae Reid ; 

 but as several had been known to have escaped 

 from confinement not far up the river, the 

 bird referred to was probably one of these. 



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

 Clark Kennedy (Birds of Berks and Bucks, 



p. 186-7) mentions several little bitterns said 

 to have been taken in the county ; many of 

 these records are unsubstantiated by locality or 

 date, but the following can be traced : Wolley 

 mentioned one shot on Queen's Eyot near 

 Windsor in the summer of 1860. In the 

 summer of 1826 a young specimen was shot 

 on the banks of the Thames near Windsor, 

 and it is believed to have been bred there 

 from the situation being favourable and the 



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