132 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



No. 2 from my cripple stopper. They were nice specimens, a 

 female and a young male. 



Early in September I witnessed a most interesting flight of 

 a Peregrine Falcon at a Greenshank. I only came in for the end 

 of the flight, when I saw the Greenshank take to the water three 

 times, and dive to escape the stoop of the Falcon. When the 

 Falcon soared upwards after each stoop, the Greenshank rose 

 from the water, screaming most piteously and flying to the shore, 

 which it at length reached, and hid amongst the stones and sea- 

 weed (the Falcon waiting a short distance off), until I came down 

 and saved its life. 



THE BIRDS OF BRECONSHIRE. 



By E. Cambridge Phillips, 



Member of the Woolhope Naturalists' Field Club. 



(Continued from p. 50.) 



Sky Lark, Alauda arvensis. — Common. Occasionally a small 

 flock is observed passing over, but one never sees anything like 

 the large flocks that occur constantly on the Wiltshire and other 

 Downs. I think we are too high and wet for them, and it must 

 not be forgotten that, comparatively speaking, there is very little 

 land under tillage here. 



Wood Lark, Alauda arborea. — Very uncommon. I have only 

 seen it twice since I have resided here. 



Waxwing, AmpeUs garrulus. — I can only record one instance of 

 the occurrence of this bird, and that was killed near Llanwrtyd. 



Tree Creeper, Certhia familiaria. — Generally scattered 

 throughout the county. I often see it actively creeping up some 

 fine old elms in my garden at Brecon. 



Nuthatch, Sitta ccesia.- -This bird has been very slowly 

 increasing for the last few years. It was formerly rare here ; 

 so much so, indeed, that I have only observed it during the 

 last four or five years, and then occasionally. I have seen it 

 twice in my garden, when I was attracted by its piping note. 

 Miss Lloyd, of Llandefailog, near Brecon, who so kindly gave me 

 the particulars of the nesting of the Hen Harrier at Nantgwilt, 

 tells me that the Nuthatch breeds at Llandefailog, but that the 

 old birds only reared one young one last year, and she thinks 

 the district too cold for them. 



