32 THE BIEDS OF SHERWOOD FOREST. 



inflicted on him some severe wounds before he could be 

 dislodged by the keeper from his post of vantage. The 

 plumage of this bird was altogether of a much darker 

 tone than is usually the case, the brown markings on 

 the centre of the breast and belly being very deep and 

 large, as well as those on the feathers of the thighs and 

 legs. 



I have met with three instances of the occurrence of the 

 Hon ey Buzzard (Pernis apivorus) . One was killed at Ruf- 

 ford in the summer of 1854 ; and a pair, male and female, 

 were taken together in the same trap in Inkersal Forest, 

 on April 16, 1858. This was a remarkable capture, for 

 the birds, with singular unanimity, whether caused by 

 hunger or rivalry I cannot tell most likely the former 

 must have pounced on the rabbit with which the trap 

 was baited at the same moment, for both were caught 

 by the legs, and of course forfeited their lives. Their 

 seizing on the rabbit is a proof, too, that this species 

 does not confine itself to insect diet ; and in the absence 

 of the larvaB of bees and wasps I imagine it is not very 

 fastidious. 



The circumstance of these birds having mated, and 

 the time of year when they were taken, are strongly 

 presumptive that they would have bred here had they 

 not met with such an untimely fate, for the locality is a 

 very lonely one, and offers many suitable spots for a 

 nest. 



The harriers are not nearly so plentiful with us as in 

 many other parts of England, and especially of Scotland. 

 Our district is not generally favourable to the natural 

 tastes and habits of the Marsh Harrier (Circus rufus), 

 and I have only noted the occurrence of one ; but the 

 Hen Harrier (G. cyaneus) is frequently met with, 



