2520 The Zoologist — March, 1871. 



peregrine. It is l^nown to breed upon the coast of Wales and on 

 the raarilirne rocts of Somerset. 



Honey Buzzard. — This is rare in the district, but there is a 

 record of a fine female specimen shot in 1856 at Newent Wood. 

 Probably this bird might have meant to breed there. 



[I have never met with any instance of this bird occurring in Hereford- 

 shire : a few specimens so called have turned out to be the common buzzard ; 

 the region about the eye, called the lore when naked, is covered with small 

 imbricated feathers in the honey buzzard, but not in the other species. In 

 the eastern counties until the past year the lioney buzzard has been quite 

 as common as the common buzzard, perhaps more so. — E. Newman.] 



Common Buzzard. — This sluggish member of the rapacious 

 tribe may be occasionally met with lurking in thick coppices ; but, 

 though not uncommon formerly, it has by degrees become a com- 

 paratively rare bird. 



Hen Harrier. — This is another species that is now of very rare 

 occurrence. It has been seen about Worcester. 



Hobbi/. —K\\]ed at Stoke Edith in May, 1867. Mr. Edwards 

 states that "Last year (1868) a nest was taken at Mathon, and 

 the unfledged nestlings tried to be reared, but unsuccessfully. 

 One lived to be six weeks old, and then fell to my lot for 

 preservation." 



Kestrel. — The kestrel, although lessened in numbers, yet, from 

 its being known to feed principally on mice, has escaped the 

 general destruction to which all birds of prey are devoted by the 

 gamekeeper, and may be often noticed hanging motionless in the 

 air, no doubt warily intent upon any movement on the ground 

 below its lofty location. It breeds with us, and I was told by an 

 old shepherd of the hills, some thirty years ago, that he always 

 knew of a nest every year on the Ivyscar rock. The influx of 

 visitors to the walks on the North Hill, and probably the continual 

 robbing of its nest, has for a long tin)e past scared the kestrel from 

 the Ivyscar rock, and it would take a keen searcher to find its nest 

 now. 



Sparrowhnwk. — Generally distributed through the woods about 

 the Malvern Hills, where it breeds. 



Merlin. — A specimen shot at Madresfield (Mr. Edwards). 



(To be continued.) 



