2198 The Zoologist. — Jdly, 1870 



Merlin. — Winter visitor; not uncommon : specimens obtained from 

 Madron and Gulval, Frequents the outskirts of moors, bordering on 

 cultivated land. The old male with a light blue back is the " stone 

 falcon " of Bewick. (A specimen in this beautiful state of plumage 

 was killed in the grounds of the Hon. and Rev. Stephen Lawley, at 

 Trevalyn, near Penzance, this week.^ — February 19, 1870.) 



Kestrel. — Generally distributed, and the best known of all our 

 smaller hawks, from its stationary and fanning action in the air. 



Sparrowhawk. — Generally distributed : the female of this species 

 is at least one-third larger than the male. 



Kite. — No recent example. This species has been almost exter- 

 minated in the West of England : two examples in the Truro Museum 

 of the Cornish Institution, labelled as Cornish. (A very fine adult 

 specimen of the common kite was obtained from the grounds of 

 Trebartha Hall, near Lauuceston, on the 1st of December, 1869. 

 1 have not heard of a specimen of this beautiful bird occurring any- 

 where in the West of England for the last fifty years, although 1 have 

 a vague recollection of the species having — in my school-boy days, at 

 Buckposlleigh, near Ashburton, in Devonshire — regularly bred in a 

 large woodland, called " King's Wood," not far from Holne Chase, on 

 Dartmoor. My nephew saw this bird to great advantage, soaring with 

 his forked tail in full relief against the sky : it had been observed 

 feeding on carrion for some days at the kennel ; and previous to this 

 my nephew observed, and reported to me, a large brown hawk which 

 he observed on the extensive moors in the neighbourhood, and which 

 he said appeared at a distance to be all tail : this no doubt was the 

 Viie.— December 2, 1869.) 



Common Buzzard. — The most common of the large Raptores, and 

 a well-known species : may be seen on most days on our high hills, 

 especially at Zennor and Towednack, sailing at a great height, in 

 large circles, with almost motionless wing ; they exhibit an interesting 

 and wild appearance whilst thus soaring at a great elevation. This 

 species is remarkable for the variation in the light and dark hues of 

 its plumage. It has been observed that an extensive and regular 

 migration of the common buzzard takes place in the autumn, when 

 large numbers are seen together in the moors in the eastern part of 

 the county. 



Roughlegged Buzzard. — Not observed in the western district, but 

 once seen on Bodmin Moors : nowhere common, although one or 

 more specimens have been obtained in nearly every county. 



