NOTES AND QUERIES. 841 



apparently began to sit after laying the second egg, she subsequently laid 

 two more. There were four in the nest when she was killed, which 

 catastrophe occurred about a month ago. I saw a male Hen Harrier the 

 day before yesterday (July 9th) in the neighbourhood, which was probably 

 the mate of the other. The Poole Estuary is crowded with the Black- 

 headed Gulls, young and old ; they must have had a good breeding season. — 

 J. C. Mansel Pleydell (Whatcombe, Blaudford). 



Montagu's Harrier in Nottinghamshire.— A neighbour brought me 

 a hawk which he had taken out of a pole-trap on the Forest, which, as it 

 was not at all injured, I kept for a few weeks and then sent on to the 

 Zoological Gardens. It was a young male Montagu's Harrier, and as this 

 is the first authentic occurrence of the species in this county I think it is 

 worth recording. I have just heard from Mr. Bartlett that it has since 

 died, and Gardner is making a skin of it for me. — J. Whitaker (Rainworth 

 Lodge, Mansfield). 



Rare Visitors to North Oxfordshire.— On May 17th my brother and 

 I saw a White Wagtail, Motacilla alba, in a pasture-field just below this 

 village. We were able to get close to it, and with a good field-glass could 

 see it perfectly. From the pure pearl-grey of the back and the clearly and 

 sharply defined black cap, throat, and breast, I think it was a male. 

 Although I have watched carefully for this species for the last five springs, 

 this is the first time I have been able to identify it. Two Eing Ouzels — 

 rare visitants to North 0.xon only on migration — were procured about the 

 end of April ; one which I dissected had been feeding on ivy-berries, and 

 was extremely fat. When examining the numerous small birds scattered 

 over a field newly drilled with spring corn on March 16th, I turned the 

 glass on a fine male Brambling. I do not know of any other instance of 

 this bird staying here so late in the season ; the sun being unpleasantly hot 

 it seemed strange to see a bird which we are accustomed to associate with 

 severe winters. — Oliver V. Aplin (Great Bourton, near Banbury). 



The Larder of the Red-backed Shrike. — Early in July, whilst 

 watching a pair of Red-backed Shrikes, in order to obtain their nest, I 

 found close to it, in addition to a plentiful supply of bees, beetles, &c., a 

 good-sized red-herring (not exactly impaled, as were the beetles, &c., but in 

 such a situation in the thorn bush that it could not easily be moved) eaten 

 away almost entirely to the bone, evidently by the birds, and leaving only 

 the head, tail, and fins untouched. I have found the young of other birds 

 impaled by the Shrikes before, but never a fish. — F. Stansell (50, Hill 

 Terrace, Tauutonj. 



[Of course our correspondent does not intend it to be inferred that the 

 birds, or one of them, placed the fish on the thorns unaided. Doubtless it 

 was placed there by human agency, either by way of a joke or by way of 



