26 LOCAL OBSERVATION 



short of certainty, to believe that another lot have come 

 off successfully. 



" I have a pair of young bearded vultures flying at 

 hack.*" 1 



"June i4//z, 1892. 



" I had no idea that there were even three pairs of 

 ernes f now nesting in our islands ; but, three or thirty, 

 I would subject people attacking them to losing their right 

 hand, their left ears for an osprey, and their noses for 

 a kite." 2 



"February zofh, 1892. 



" You may be interested in hearing that we have a little 

 owl (Athene] sitting on five eggs in a hollow tree not far 

 off. I have turned out a great many of these birds during 

 the past few years, and this is the fifth nest of which I 

 have had positive information." 3 



" December I'jth, 1894. 



" T - B - was here for a few hours on Saturday, 

 and told me of your redwing-killing kestrel. It is only 

 curious to me that a ( raptor ' with such comparatively 



1 To E. G. B. Meade-Waldo, Esq. 



2 To the same. 



3 To E. Cambridge Phillips, Esq. 



* Young falcons, before being taken into training, are allowed to 

 live at liberty so long as they will come regularly to take the food placed 

 for them by the falconer. This is called flying 'at hack.' See article 

 on Falconry later on. 



t White-tailed Sea-eagle (Haliaetus albidlla). 



