132 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



but they were reported to me as "large white hawks spotted 

 with brown," so that I think there can be no doubt about their 

 identity. There is reason for believing that the Peregrine Falcon, 

 Faleo peref/7'inus, is a regular visitor to our moors during winter, 

 for at that time of year I generally have reported to me the 

 occurrence of large hawks, which, from the description given, 

 can only be of this species. The only time, however, on which 

 it has po-sitively occurred was during the winter of 1881-82, 

 when one was shot in a field on the north side of the Swale, 

 near Kisdon Force. 



The Merlin, Falco cesalon, is common on the moors during 

 the spring and summer months, generally arriving in March and 

 leaving early in September. It breeds regularly on most of the 

 moors in this district, and a spring seldom passes but a nest or 

 two is discovered on our own moors in Arkengarth Dale. It is 

 remarkable that each successive year sees the several pairs 

 occupying the same limited district of the moor for their several 

 nests, although each of the birds of the pi-eceding year has been 

 shot or otherwise destroyed. 



Kestrels, Falco tinnnnculus, though not quite so numerous as 

 formerly, are still found in fair numbers throughout the district, 

 and breed in many of the scars. It is, however, towards the 

 end of July that they are most abundant, for then both old and 

 young seem to join company and come up to the moors. In 

 Arkengarth Dale, for instance, at this season of the year, it is 

 no uncommon sight to see eight or ten of these birds hovering 

 at a time, and that, too, where a month before not one was to 

 be seen. 



Sparrowhawks, Accijnter nistis, are also abundant, few planta- 

 tions being without a pair. Although they are destroyed when- 

 ever a chance is given, their numbers do not seem to diminish ; 

 thus, notwithstanding that the keepers for the last sixteen years, 

 with one exception, have destroyed one bird of a pair, and 

 generally both birds in Scar Wood, yet the succeeding year has 

 always found a fresh pair ready to supply the old one's place. 

 The last instance of the breeding of the Common Buzzard, 

 Buteo vulfiaris, with us happened in the spring of 1853, when a 

 pair built their nest and hatched five young ones on the Red 

 Scar. Now the Buzzard is only seen at rare intervals, chiefly in 

 autumn and winter. The last occurrence that I have noted was 



