186 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol. xiv. 



evident that the Kestrel occasionally hawks late in the 

 evening, but I do not think it can be a common habit. 



W. R. Thompson. 



Although bats are certainly not commonly' taken by the 

 Kestrel, there are at least three records of these birds killing 

 bats of two species. On March 26th 1910, a pipistrelle was 

 captured which had been disturbed from a tree-trunk about 

 noon at Cassilis, in Ayrshire {Glasgow Nat., Vol. II., p. 137; 

 cf. British Birds, IV., p. 222). A still more remarkable 

 instance is that recorded in the Zoologist, 1890, p. 107, where 

 a Kestrel, after a long chase about midday on November 15th, 

 1889, captured a noctule or great bat in Surrey. It will 

 be noted that unlike the case described by Mr. Thompson, 

 both these attacks were made in broad daylight, presumably 

 on bats which had been disturbed from their sleeping places. 

 The third instance took place about 5 p.m. on October 12th, 

 1912, in Salop, and is recorded by Mr. H. E. Forrest in Brit. 

 Birds, VI., p. 189. In this case a pipistrelle was caught and 

 devoured. F. C. R. Jourdain. 



KESTREL CAPTURING A SWIFT. 

 Ox August 8th, 1920, at 6 a.m. solar time, I was awakened 

 by the screaming of a young Kestrel {F. t. tinniincidns) . I 

 looked out of my cabin door (in Norfolk) and saw two Kestrels, 

 an adult female and an immature bird. They were hovering 

 over a marsh opposite me and a cloud of Swifts [A. a. apus) 

 were circling in the air. Suddenly the old Kestrel struck at 

 and seized one of the Swifts. Both Kestrels then flew towards 

 my island and passed close to my cabin window. They were 

 flying low, only just clear of the ground, and would have 

 alighted but they caught sight of me and passed on. There 

 were two of us watching them and we both saw the Swift 

 in the Kestrel's grip. It was held parallel with the Kestrel's 

 body, the wings were neatly folded, and from the size and 

 colour of the Swift I have no doubt that it was a mature bird. 



E. L. Turner. 



BUZZARDS IN HERTFORDSHIRE. 



On the morning of October 8th, 1920, at 9.45, a pair of 

 Common Buzzards {Buteo b. hntco) were circling at a con- 

 siderable height over my house at Barnet, south-east Herts. 

 I only observed them for a minute or two and then they made 

 off in a south-westerly direction. H. Kirke Swann. 



