5178 The Zoologist — December, 1876. 



Whitetailed Eagle in Suffolk. — A sea eagle paid a flying visit to Lord 

 Guilford's covers here, during the latter part of August, but was fortunate 

 enough to escape the keepers. — Arthur J. Clark-Kenned ij ; Little Olemham, 

 Suffolk. 



Supposed Occurrence of the Lesser Kestrel near the Land's End. — My 

 attention was called yesterday by Mr. Marks, naturalist, of this place, to a 

 very small kestrel he had received from the western district of this county, 

 and which I had an opportunity of examining in the flesh and weighing. The 

 weight was exactly four ounces ; I see that of the male kestrel is said to be 

 seven or seven and a half ounces. The bill is very short, thick and more mas- 

 sive than the common kestrel ; blue at the base. Length from carpal joint to 

 the end of the first quill-feather, nine inches ; total length of the bird lying 

 on its back, barely twelve inches. Head smaller and less bluff, in proportion, 

 than the common kestrel. Legs bright yellow. Claws black : in Gould's 

 ' Birds of Europe,' the claws are said to be white. The wings scarcely 

 reach to the end of the tail by three-fourths of an inch. I may add that 

 the rufous colour on the upper breast is more defined than in the common 

 kestrel ; the under parts are plain buff ash-colour, with few markings. The 

 plumage of the female kestrel, which it exactly resembles, applies to this 

 specimen. I have sent the above particulars off-band ; I know nothing 

 personally of the lesser kestrel, never having handled a skin or examined 

 one, so that I must leave the matter for the present in the hands of those 

 who may be able to suggest further particulars. — Edward Hearle Bodd; 

 Penzance, Xoirmber 15, 1870. 



The Lesser Gray Shrike (Lanius minor) in Devonshire. — In my notes for 

 September (written in Somersetshire) I mentioned having received informa- 

 tion from Mr. Peacock, a bird-preserver, that a great gray shrike {Lanius 

 excubitor) had been captured by a bird-catcher in the neighbourhood of 

 Plymouth. On my return home I went to see the bird, and found to my 

 surprise that it was not the great, but the lesser gray shrike (L. minor), and 

 a bird of the year. As this is the first time that the bird has been known 

 to occur in Devonshire, I feel great pleasure in being the first to announce 

 the fact. Tt was caught on the 23rd of September last, and brought, alive, 

 the same day to Mr. Peacock, who supposed it to be nothing more than the 

 young of the great gray shrike until I pointed out the difference to him. 

 Fortunately he had preserved the skin, the description of which is as 

 follows : — Whole length nearly nine inches ; from the carpal joint to the 

 longest quill-feather, four inches and five-eighths ; third quill the longest, 

 and the fourth nearly equal to tbe second. Bill resembling that of the 

 woodchat shrike, shorter and rather more arched, or gradually sloped, from 

 the brow to the tip than that of L. excubitor. Plumage above ash-gray, 

 each feather having a faint dusky bar, but light at the tip ; rump similarly 

 barred, but of a lighter gray. A dusky or nearly black baud from the eye 



