4870 Tue ZooLocist—APRIL, 1876. 
August, 1704, by Mr. Wodhall, of Thengford. In the head, body, and 
wings, it differs not considerably from others of the kind just disclosed of 
the shell, as this was. But ’tis a four-legged bird.” The above is literally 
copied. At p. 463, pl. xiii., he gives a figure of it—J. H. Gurney, jun. 
Kestrels near Banbury.—I saw the last kestrel hawk on the 25th of 
November, 1875. I strongly suspect that this bird migrates from these 
parts in the winter. There is a scarcity of game, fieldfares and redwings, 
but carrion crows, nuthatches and green woodpeckers are common. The 
kestrel appeared again on the 16th of February, 1876, and by the 26th 
were getting very plentiful—C. Matthew Prior ;, Blorham, Banbury. 
Sparrowhawk and Woodcock.—Mr. Sclater's remarks on the mode of 
feeding of the starling (Zool. S. S, 3648) are very interesting, and so also 
is his narrative of the woodcock and the sparrowhawks: the unfortunate 
bird seems to have had a good many assailants. I only once remember 
seeing a hawk strike at a woodcock. It was a few months ago. I have no 
doubt it was a sparrowhawk. It was in an open field, and the woodcock, 
which we had just put out of a cover, was flying in a slow aimless manner 
when the pursuer appeared.—J. H. Gurney, jun. 
Archibuteo Sancti-Johannis——Since forwarding you my notes the other 
day I have seen Dr. Coues’ book, ‘ The Birds of the North-West,’ published 
by the United States’ Geological Survey, in which I find that the North- 
American roughlegged buzzard, although generally a much darker bird than 
the European one, is not considered specifically distinct from it, but merely 
a climatic race. Still the example I possess from North Devon of this 
uniformly dark roughlegged buzzard, which has been termed Archibuteo 
Sancti-Johannis, is, as far as I can learn, the first which has been obtained 
in this country.—Murray A. Mathew; Bishop’s Lydeard, near Taunton, 
February 25, 1876. 
Roughlegged Buzzard at Rufford.—On the 16th of December one of 
Mr. Savill’s keepers saw a large hawk flying about over the heather at 
Rufford; on seeing it near the same place again next day he placed a trap, 
baited with a dead rabbit, near the spot, and watched it from some bushes 
close by: the bird came, but, seeing him, was sweeping away, when the 
keeper—thinking he might not have another chance—fired; after rising 
about fifty or sixty yards it fluttered down dead to the ground, one corn 
having gone through its lungs: it was a roughlegged buzzard. Formerly 
this hawk was not uncommon about Here, but it only occurs now once in 
every two or three years. The bird was a female, and on examining it 
I noticed the feathers to be very owl-like in their texture and colour. 
Another specimen of this hawk, a young male, was shot on the 24th of 
January, near the same place.—J. Whitaker. 
Owl-pellets: Correction of an Error.—I see that my note on the owl: 
pellets in the March ‘ Zoologist’ (S. 8. 4832) is dated July 6. This will 
