80 FALCONID.E. 



find inhabited by the red grouse. The species is very rare in the 

 north-west of Donegal.* A brood of these birds, taken some 

 years ago from a nest on the mountains of the county of Mona- 

 ghan, was reared by Captain Bonham of the 10th Hussars, for 

 the purpose of being tried in falconry ; but they proved very in- 

 tractable. A gentleman, who resided in the last named county, 

 has informed me of the following circumstance : — A "large 

 hawk " (most probably a marsh harrier) having pounced upon a 

 water-hen (Gattinula c/dorqpus) which was swimming among some 

 reeds at the edge of a lake near his house, he fired at it when 

 carrying oft' its prey, which was instantly dropped into the lake. 

 The hawk, although apparently uninjured by the shot, did not 

 attempt to recover the bird from the water, but perched on a tree, 

 remained for several hours, patiently watching it until wafted by 

 the light wind ashore, when the quarry was recaptured. 



When in Dublin, in August, 1836, I saw a marsh harrier 

 which had been trapped, with a chicken as bait, at Newbridge 

 Castle, near Swords (co. Dublin). In 1838, this species was not 

 uncommon, and bred about Clonmel (Tipperary) ; but in 1845, 

 owing to the vigilance of gamekeepers, it had been rendered 

 almost extinct in that neighbourhood. t It is common in Kerry, J 

 and not uncommon about Youghal (Cork), whence young birds 

 have been brought to Mr. E. Ball. This gentleman remarks : — 

 " It is known in the south under the name of kite, and is also 

 called the snipe hawk ; [may not the hen harrier also be meant 

 under this name ?] One of these birds, which I had some years 

 since, lost a leg by accident. I supplied it with a wooden one, 

 and the dexterity it acquired with this stump, both in walking and 

 killing rats, was astonishing When a rat was turned out, the 

 bird pounced at it, and never failed to pin the animal's head to 

 the ground with the stump, while a few grasps of the sound limb 

 soon terminated the struggle." 



When proceeding from Constantinople to the Valley of Sweet 

 Waters, on the 14th of May, 1841, I remarked an adult bird of 

 this species. 



* Mr. J. V. Stewart. f Mr. R. Davis. t Mr. T. F. Neligan. 



