Tur ZooLtocist—Marcg, 1876. 4831 
the labels stuck into the ground to mark where seeds were sown, and 
among others pulled up two marking the position of tall and dwarf varieties 
of some annual intended for bedding out in the flower-garden, and he had 
to trust to guess-work not to plant the dwarf variety at the back of the 
border with the tall variety completely eclipsing it in front. At one time a 
tame jackdaw used to visit our kitchen garden, climbing up the wall by 
means of a lean-to shed: the gardener for many successive days caught it 
and put it back again; but at last he left it to take its chance, and it was 
very happy in the garden for some few days, until at last, in an evil moment, 
it endeavoured to appropriate this buzzard’s food, which she had dropped. 
This appears to have been more than she could stand, for pouncing down 
upon the jackdaw she killed it, but without in the least mauling it or 
attempting to eat it, though no doubt, as she had dropped her own food, 
she was not hungry. However, no kind of animal food comes amiss to me— 
this unlucky jackdaw was very acceptable to my otters. I have not had an 
opportunity of trying my buzzards with any snakes, but have seen a buzzard 
(I did not identify the species), in a forest in Bavaria, eating one. They 
will eat frogs, though they do not finish them up clean, but leave the hind 
legs. To my surprise my tame bird refused to eat the only mole I have 
yet offered her, although I believe I gave her a fair trial. The garden 
labourers say they forage a good deal for themselves, during the open 
weather, among the slugs, worms, &c.— Alfred Heneage Cocks; Great 
Marlow, Bucks, January 25, 1876. 
The Melanism of Montagu’s Harrier—At Zool. S.S. 2260 is a letter 
from Mr. B. Bates, of Eastbourne, about a black Montagu’s harrier,—a 
melanism now pretty generally known,—and at page 2306 is another letter 
from him saying that its mate and young ones had been seen and the latter 
shot. In this second letter Mr. Bates gives a description of the young, and 
wishes to know if they differ from the common Montagu’s harrier. I have 
seen one of them, and am able to say that it does not differ in any degree 
whatever. I have also seen the old female, which was afterwards shot, and 
that agrees in plumage with a normal female Montagu’s harrier. This is no 
corroboration of the hereditary theory propounded at page 42 of the ‘ Birds 
of Norfolk. —J. H. Gurney, jun. 
Gregarious Habit of the Longeared Owl—About the middle of this month 
(January) I was shooting in a wood in this parish when five longeared owls 
got up. One of the keepers said that they had come from the adjoining 
parish of Trimingham, where, for at least half a dozen years, there have 
been a party of about six, and where I have paid them several visits (¢f., 
p- 3045). In spite of the numbers which are to my knowledge killed by 
the keepers, it is now a very numerous species on this coast, and I under- 
stand it is on the increase in other parts of England.—Id. 
Abundance of the Shorteared Owl near Kingsbridge—Great numbers 
