OCCASIONAL NOTES. 347 
Almost all of the nests I found were undoubtedly of the Sparrowhawk’s own 
make, one or two were in crows’ nests, and I never found one in a 
Magpie’s. They generally preferred fir tree, especially Scotch, and, unlike 
the Kestrel, they do not like building in an open country ; the latter appear 
indifferent, but Sparrowhawks greatly prefer a fir tree spinney. The eggs 
vary in number from four to six; the last nest [ found was in a larch tree, 
and contained the latter number. When the young Kestrels are hatched 
the parents supply them with rats and mice in large quantities. By the 
time the young are ready to fly the nest will be found to be quite flat at 
the top, owing to the accumulation of “« pellets,” composed of the indigestible 
parts of their prey, that the birds eject. The number of mice and rats 
destroyed by a single pair of these birds in one season is perfectly marvellous. 
Thave never found any remains of birds in either the nest or the “ castings.” 
Not so, however, with the Sparrowhawk; the young seem to be fed in a 
great measure on Missel Thrushes; and the latter bird, more than any 
other, serves to satisfy the hunger of the parents. They are also very fond 
of little rabbits, greenfinches, and sparrows. Both species of birds lay eggs 
differing very much in size and colour: Sparrowhawk’s are just as frequently 
blotched at the smaller end as they are at the larger; and Kestrels lay two 
varieties, one having deep red for the ground colour, the other brown.— 
C. MarrHew Prior (The Avenue, Bedford). 
Puenaciry or THE WarTeRHEN.—The Common Waterhen is known to 
be a species in which combats between individuals (probably males) 
frequently occur; but the following description of such a contest noted 
by an eye-witness, who communicated it to me, may perhaps be worth 
recording. The occurrence took place in a wood at Northrepps, Norfolk. 
on the 81st July. My informant says :—“‘T saw a regular combat between 
two Waterhens yesterday. On hearing a noise amongst some elder bushes 
I went close to where the birds were fighting. They had taken fast hold of 
each other's wings, near the body, with their feet, and were rolling over and 
over, pecking each other meanwhile with their bills. After two or three 
minutes they rested, and then began again, till I separated them, when 
I found that one appeared to have been injured in the eye by the attack of 
its opponent.”—J. H. Gurney (Northrepps, Norfolk). 
Provinorat Names or Bririsu Brrps.—Having for some time collected 
Scotch local names of birds, I am much interested in Mr. Little’s notes of 
those used in Cornwall (p- 222). With Scotch names it is very hard to 
define the district to which many belong, the same being used in places far 
apart. In some cases also the same are used in different districts for 
different species. The origin of many of these names would form a curious 
study, and would no doubt bring to light much of interest to the philologist 
as well as to the naturalist. Some of the names given in the Old Statistical 
