ON RARE MIGRANTS TO DERBYSHIRE IN 1904. 235 



Egginton on March 29th, while on the following day twenty- 

 two grey geese (sp. ?) were seen at the same place. 



A female Wood or Summer Duck, Aix sponsa (L.), was killed 

 on the Derwent near Duffield by Mr. Young at the end of 

 January. This is an American species, but has been kept in a 

 semi-domesticated state in the county, and the bird was almost 

 certainly one of these. 



A couple of Scaup Ducks, Fuligula marila (L.), were seen on 

 the Trent not far from Donington, and the male bird was shot 

 by Mr. A. S. Hutchinson. These birds are rather rare visitors 

 to us, and none have been recorded since 1891. 



Nightingales were more numerous than usual along our 

 southern borders, and several instances of their breeding were 

 noted in 1904 along the Staffordshire boundary and in the south 

 of the county. 



A very fine Honey Buzzard, Pernis apivorus (L.), was, I regret 

 to say, shot at Allestree by a keeper on June 23rd. It was in 

 splendid plumage, and though the sex was not ascertained by 

 dissection, was probably a female. From the earth on the claws 

 it had evidently been lately at work scratching out a wasps' 

 nest. It is, of course, a protected bird, but so long as all large 

 hawks are shot on sight by gamekeepers, the so-called protection 

 is not of much practical value. The Honey Buzzard is, more- 

 over, not only harmless, but actively useful; its main food 

 consisting of the grubs of wasps. 



An Oyster-Catcher, Hamatopus ostralegus (L.), was seen by 

 Mr. H. G. Tomlinson on the River Dove near Sudbury on 

 October 28th, and on November 4th Mr. R. H. Bond shot an 

 adult male Scoter, Oldemia nigra (L.), on the Dove, near 

 Hanging Bridge. It was in poor condition, and was very loath 

 to take wing. 



