RED-FOOTED FALCON. 31 



of the correctness of his information, the Hobby has for some years 

 been known to breed. I have been informed by Mr George 

 Kirkpatrick that a specimen of the Hobby was shot in June, 1867, 

 on the Rockhall estate, a few miles from Dumfries, and is now in 

 the possession of Mr Hastings, bird sttiffer in that town. 



Dr Saxby says that this species is very rare in Shetland, and 

 that it seems to occur in autumn only. 



THE RED-FOOTED FALCON. 

 FA LOO RV PIPES. 



I have much pleasure in introducing into the present work a 

 notice of the occurrence of the only specimen of this rare British bird 

 which appears to have been met with in Scotland. It was shot in 

 Aberdeenshire, and is now in the possession of Mr John Ruxton, 

 who has very kindly sent me the following communication: "An 

 adult female of this rare and beautiful species was shot and given to 

 me by my friend, Mr Andrew Gill, while on a visit at Hill of Fiddes, 

 in the parish of Foveran, and county of Aberdeen, in the last week 

 of May, 1866. The stomach contained beetles, from which I infer 

 that, like many of its congeners, it is not so destructive of game 

 as many preservers imagine." 



As this Falcon has not often been captured in Britain, it may 

 not be out of place here to allude to one found near the borders. 

 In a work on the Geology, Botany, and Zoology of the neighbour- 

 hood of Alnwick, it is stated, on the authority of Mr R. C. 

 Embleton, that a female Red-footed Falcon was found at Hauxley 

 in October, 1868.* 



THE MERLIN. 

 FALCO ^E SALON. 



Seog. 



This interesting and courageous little falcon is very commonly 

 distributed throughout western Scotland, extending to all the 

 Hebrides, including the outer group, or Long Island ; and though 



* " History of Alnwick," by George Tate, F.G.S., 1869. 



