2764 Birds. 



from cold, although surrounded by plenty of dry moss and a variety of food. At 

 least two others were killed in the same house where these were found. — G. Gordon; 

 Birnie, March, 1850. 



Golden Eagle. — Mr. Argent has just received for preservation, for the Bishop of 

 Oxford, a magnificent specimen of the golden eagle, trapped on Lord Breadalbane's 

 Scotch estates. — Edward Newman. 



Occurrence of the Osprey (Falco halia^etos) near Colchester. — Mr. Argent has re- 

 ceived for preservation a fine specimen of the osprey, shot near Colchester about the 

 middle of January last: it is the property of J. W. Egerton Green, Esq. — Id. 



Occurrence oj the Osprey at Hartlepool. — Dr. Caliney, of this place, has just re- 

 ceived a fine female specimen of the osprey, taken on board a ship at Hartlepool, in 

 an extremely exhausted state, during the late storm. — Joseph Duff; Bishop Auck- 

 land, February 9, 1850. 



Occurrence of the Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) at Selborne. — On the 22nd 

 of December last I was walking from Empshott towards Selborne with two friends, — 

 both field-ornithologists, and one a remarkably sure one, — when a fine male peregrine 

 falcon crossed the road before us, perhaps about sixty or eighty yards off, as if coming 

 from a fine wooded hill called Nore Hill. You will remember how much Gilbert 

 White was interested about the peregrine which was shot and sent to him by one of 

 the keepers at Wolmer Forest: the place where we saw the peregrine mentioned 

 above was about three miles from that forest. — Thomas Bell ; 17, New Broad Street, 

 February 9, 1850. 



A tame Male Kestrel pairing with a wild Female. — About four years ago my 

 children procured a young kestrel, which, when able to fly, I persuaded them to give 

 its liberty : it never left the place, but became attached to them. In the spring of 

 the following year we missed Billy (as he was christened) for nearly a week, and 

 thought he had been shot ; but one morning I observed him soaring about with ano- 

 ther of his species, which proved to be a female. They paired and laid several eggs 

 in an old dove-cote, about a hundred yards from the Rectory ; but that season being 

 disturbed, as I thought, by some white owls, the eggs were never hatched. The next 

 spring Billy again brought a mate : they again built, and reared a nest of young 

 ones. Last year they did the same ; but some mischievous boys took the young ones 

 when just ready to fly. This year Billy has again brought his mate, and they have 

 established themselves in the same quarters. Billy, though in every respect a wild 

 bird as to his habits in the fields, and flying away at the approach of a stranger, is 

 quite at home with my children. He comes every day to the nursery window, and 

 when it is opened will come into the room and perch upon the chairs or table, and 

 sometimes upon the heads of the little ones, who always save apiece of meat for him. 

 His mate will sometimes venture to come within a yard or two of the house, to watch 

 for Billy when he comes out of the room with his meat : she will then give chase, 

 and try to make him drop it, both of them squealing and chattering, to our great 

 amusement. During the time of incubation Billy takes his turn on the nest, and 

 when the young are hatched comes two or three times a day for food. When the 



