The Zoologist— August, 1867. 867 



hawks, satisfied with their victory, began wheeling in wide circles 

 above the little lake, the one bird keeping somewhat higher than the 

 other, and at an opposite point of the circle, and thus they rose in this 

 wonderful spiral flight, circle above circle, to an immense height, their 

 broad and rounded and somewhat ragged wings perfectly motionless, 

 the primary quills somewhat curved upwards, and thus, circle above 

 circle, now mere larks in size, but still circling, till the wearied eye 

 failed to follow them as they vanished against the intense blue of 

 heaven. To my fancy this ignoble buzzard is one of our noblest birds 

 .of prey : when seen amidst wild scenery, they always harmonize with 

 surrounding objects, and I know no bird which excels them in state- 

 liness and maguificence of flight — no, not even the royal eagle 

 himself. 



July 1st. To-day, when descending the rocks between Easdale and 

 Codale tarns, disturbed a pair of buzzards, and think they had a nest 

 not far off, as the hawks were greatly disgusted, flying backwards and 

 forwards over my head, constantly uttering their wild and melancholy 

 cry of " Kei-er, kei-er." In the evening went to look at a young 

 buzzard at the house of a labourer at Grasmere. A very fine healthy 

 looking bird ; the man said he had taken it from the nest on the rocks, 

 a few days since, somewhere between Steel Fell and High Raise, and 

 that it was the only one in the nest. 



Raven. — Common on the higher fells, and generally nesting on the 

 most inaccessible precipices. 



Spotted Flycatcher. — Very common in all the well-wooded and 

 cultivated portion of this district, particularly in the woods and gardens 

 bordering the great lakes. 



Pied Flycatcher. — Not uncommon in the neighbourhood of Gras- 

 mere ; more generally found about the skirts of the woods and planta- 

 tions on the fell-sides and bordering the lakes than in the gardens and 

 pleasure-grounds, par excellence, the haunts of its spotted cousin. 

 First met with this little bird on the outskirts of Grasmere village, near 

 the Red-bank road ; was attracted to the spot by its song, a most 

 pleasing little song, and one then quite new to me : the little warbler 

 was sitting on the bough of a pollard-ash ; it was by no means shy, 

 permitting a close approach. It is not easy to represent the notes of 

 a small bird on paper; 1 put them down in my note-book at the time 

 as resembling the words " Twe-tvveetle, tweetle, tweetle, twote," It is 

 a merry rattling little song: twice the little fellow paused, dashing out 

 to capture a passing fly. After this had not an opportunity of 



