304 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



through all the neighbouring covers. — Robert Miller Christy (Chignal 

 St. James, near Chelmsford). 



Marten in Durham. — A female Marten was trapped on the 31st May 

 last, at Hoppyland, about seven or eight miles west of Bishop Auckland. 

 The last record of this rare animal in this neighbourhood is dated August 

 14th, 1840 (Zool. p. 2588), when a nest containing three young ones was 

 found in North Carr Wood, on the estate adjoining Hoppyland. — T. H. 

 Nelson (North Bondgate, Bishop Auckland). 



Ornithological Notes from the Solway Firth. — The Peregrine 

 Falcon is permanently resident, and breeds annually on our sea-cliffs. 

 I have watched with interest a pair of these birds which nest every year 

 near here. From some cause the eggs have not hatched the last two 

 seasons, but last year the keeper shot the male bird, under the impression 

 that another mate would do better. The result will, I hope, be successful, 

 for the birds are preserved uuder ordinary circumstances from molestation, 

 and there is a good chance for them here for years to come. The Peregrine 

 also occurs among the mountains of Cumberland, thirty miles distant, and 

 I am satisfied that the Cumberland birds come over here occasionally on 

 their foraging expeditions, as they have several times been seen passing to 

 and fro across the Firth. Although the distance appears considerable, yet 

 it is a mere trifle to a Peregrine Falcon. The Merlin was formerly common, 

 but is now rare on our moors, owing to the more strict preservation of game. 

 The Common Buzzard is permanently resident ; one pair at least succeeded 

 in rearing their young, not far from here, in 1881 ; the nest was in a fir tree. 

 Each year brings a few Rough-legged Buzzards : they are lazy birds, and 

 I have more than once shot a duck at dusk which 1 have been unable to 

 fiud, and next day on going for my bird have found only a lot of feathers, 

 and the bones picked clean by a Buzzard. One day in autumn, when 

 sitting among some rocks near the sea, a dark-coloured bird came flying 

 past over the water, and alighted on the surface at some distance from me. 

 I was much puzzled at first to make it out. The dark colour suggested a 

 Petrel, and as I crept nearer and saw the beak, Phalarope suggested itself. 

 When near enough I stood up, and the bird rose and flew landwards, 

 passing within easy shot, when I saw to my surprise, on shooting it, it was 

 a Starlin". When swimming it made for the shore, and as struck by each 

 wave gave a flap with its wings and struggled forward, reminding me very 

 much of the action of a wounded Dunlin. Possibly it had been terrified by 

 a hawk, but 1 am quite satisfied that the act of taking to the water was 

 voluntary, and could easily have been avoided, as there were rocks close 

 at hand upon which it could have perched. The Stock Dove, Columba 

 <e>ias, breeds in holes and ledges of rocks shaded by ivy, &c, often facing the 



