2482 The Zoologist — February, 1871. 



Merlin. — Once or twice seen during the winter, as also was the hobby 

 during the summer. 



Peregrine. — Once seen this autumn. 



Supposed Orangelegged Hobbies. — We occasionally see here a veiy small 

 hawk, which differs entirely from the common small hawks, and wliich I 

 believe to have been the orangelegged hobby. Indeed, on one occasion I 

 am pretty sure I saw a pair of these hawks. It was in August, 1869 ; I 

 was standing on an elevated spot with woods stretching down below me, and 

 I had an excellent view through a glass of two hawks hovering about just 

 over the tops of the trees, evidently a pair, one of a brownish colour, 

 the other of a very dark blackish colour, with reddish orange under tail- 

 coverts. Tliis last point I observed when the bird turned half over in some 

 aerial evolution. But previous to this, and more especially in the preceding 

 spring, we had observed a strange small hawk, whose characteristics I will 

 describe. To begin with, it is far too small and long in the wing to be a 

 male kestrel or sparrowhawk ; it is also too dark for a hobby, and rather a 

 smaller bird with narrower and sharper wings. It is more the size of a 

 merlin, but the wings are longer and more pointed. Its flight almost 

 exactly resembles that of the swallow, and at a certain distance it might 

 almost be mistaken for that bird. I have generally seen it either flying at 

 an immense pace at a considerable elevation, or else hawking up and down 

 for some aerial prey with many little tunis and evolutions, like the swallow 

 or nightjar. I am acquainted with the habits of the hobby and merlin, my 

 pei'soual observation confirming the statements of authors, but this hawk 

 was something strange to me altogether, until it struck me that it must be 

 identical with the pair of hawks previously described, and therefore be the 

 orangelegged hobby. — Clifton ; Cobham Hall, Kent, December 23, 1870. 



Scops Eared Owl near Uayle. — A good plumaged specimen of this little 

 owl was captured at Trevethoe, on our north coast, a fortnight since. 

 This is the second specimen that has come under my notice from Cornwall ; 

 the first, which I have, was killed in the Scilly Isles. — Edtvard Hearle 

 Eodd; Penzance, January IG, 1871. 



Great Gray Shrikes in East Yorkshire. — On the 17th of October last a 

 beautiful old male of the above species was shot at Easington, a village in 

 this Eiding, by Mr. Henry Chubley, of that place. I think I never saw so 

 mature and finely plumaged a bird, and, through the kindness of Mr. 

 Lawton, of the above-mentioned village, I have been enabled to add it to 

 my collection. There were also killed, about the same time and place, two 

 others ; I saw one of them, a female, shot by Mr, John Chubley, the other 

 was, unfortunately, allowed to be wasted. On the 15th of November 

 following, Mr. Richardson, taxidermist of this town, received in the flesh a 

 female that had been shot near Brands Burton, a village about eight miles 

 from Beverley. Also, about the 4th of January, an old male was captured 



