﻿NOTES 
  AND 
  QUERIES. 
  429 
  

  

  Buntings 
  were 
  reported 
  as 
  arriving 
  at 
  Yarmouth 
  this 
  autumn 
  much 
  

   earlier 
  than 
  usual. 
  — 
  0. 
  V. 
  Aplin 
  (Bloxham, 
  Oxon). 
  

  

  Curious 
  Habit 
  of 
  Starlings, 
  — 
  I 
  should 
  like 
  to 
  draw 
  your 
  readers' 
  

   attention 
  to 
  a 
  curious 
  habit 
  I 
  noted 
  this 
  year, 
  for 
  the 
  first 
  time, 
  amongst 
  

   the 
  Starlings 
  (Stiimns 
  vulgaHs); 
  I 
  refer 
  to 
  their 
  mode 
  of 
  hawking 
  

   after 
  flies 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  manner 
  as 
  Swifts 
  and 
  Swallows. 
  A 
  number 
  get 
  

   together, 
  flit 
  their 
  tails 
  and 
  wings, 
  spreading 
  them 
  out, 
  now 
  drawing 
  

   them 
  in, 
  and 
  tumbling 
  about 
  in 
  the 
  air 
  as 
  the 
  above-mentioned 
  species 
  

   often 
  do. 
  The 
  Starlings 
  have 
  increased 
  enormously 
  with 
  us 
  of 
  late, 
  

   and 
  have 
  taken 
  to 
  building 
  in 
  the 
  ivy, 
  as 
  the 
  holes 
  and 
  spouts 
  are 
  full 
  

   up 
  with 
  nests. 
  — 
  W. 
  H. 
  Workman 
  (Lismore, 
  Windsor, 
  Belfast). 
  

  

  Hooded 
  Crow 
  (Corvus 
  cornix). 
  — 
  A 
  specimen 
  of 
  this 
  rare 
  visitor 
  to 
  

   Cheshire 
  has 
  been 
  shot 
  at 
  Hollington, 
  near 
  Chester, 
  on 
  Oct. 
  18th, 
  1904. 
  

   A. 
  Newstead 
  (Chester). 
  

  

  Hoopoe 
  (Upupa 
  epops) 
  in 
  Cheshire. 
  — 
  A 
  Hoopoe 
  was 
  shot 
  in 
  a 
  

   potato-field 
  on 
  the 
  outskirts 
  of 
  Sale 
  on 
  Sept. 
  21st. 
  It 
  had 
  been 
  seen 
  

   in 
  this 
  and 
  the 
  adjoining 
  fields 
  since 
  the 
  17th, 
  and 
  with 
  characteristic 
  

   tameness 
  had 
  allowed 
  those 
  interested 
  in 
  its 
  appearance 
  to 
  approach 
  

   within 
  ten 
  yards 
  of 
  it 
  again 
  and 
  again 
  as 
  it 
  fed. 
  The 
  bird 
  is 
  imma- 
  

   ture, 
  the 
  plumage 
  of 
  the 
  throat 
  and 
  breast 
  being 
  pale, 
  and 
  the 
  beak 
  

   measuring, 
  in 
  a 
  straight 
  line 
  from 
  the 
  gape 
  to 
  the 
  tip 
  of 
  the 
  upper 
  

   mandible, 
  2-1 
  in., 
  the 
  culmen 
  l'7o 
  in. 
  — 
  Chas. 
  Oldham 
  (Knutsford). 
  

  

  Boldness 
  of 
  the 
  Buzzard. 
  — 
  I 
  was 
  greatly 
  interested 
  in 
  Mr. 
  Salter's 
  

   account 
  of 
  the 
  unusual 
  boldness 
  of 
  this 
  generally 
  shy 
  bird. 
  Though, 
  

   in 
  my 
  experience, 
  I 
  have 
  found 
  the 
  Buzzard 
  nearly 
  as 
  shy 
  and 
  timid 
  

   as 
  the 
  Golden 
  Eagle 
  at 
  its 
  nesting 
  haunts, 
  a 
  friend 
  of 
  mine 
  had 
  once 
  a 
  

   very 
  different 
  experience. 
  While 
  ascending 
  a 
  rocky 
  mountain 
  in 
  the 
  

   " 
  Clyde 
  " 
  area, 
  where 
  perhaps 
  the 
  Buzzard 
  is 
  more 
  justly 
  entitled 
  to 
  be 
  

   termed 
  "Common" 
  than 
  in 
  most 
  parts 
  of 
  Scotland, 
  he 
  was 
  startled 
  

   by 
  the 
  behaviour 
  of 
  a 
  large 
  bird. 
  From 
  his 
  description 
  this 
  was 
  

   evidently 
  a 
  Buzzard. 
  He 
  was, 
  along 
  with 
  his 
  son, 
  climbing 
  up 
  a 
  

   narrow 
  ridge 
  of 
  rock 
  leading 
  to 
  the 
  summit, 
  when 
  suddenly 
  the 
  

   Buzzard 
  appeared, 
  and, 
  in 
  his 
  own 
  words, 
  " 
  after 
  circling 
  two 
  or 
  

   three 
  times 
  about 
  me, 
  struck 
  the 
  rock 
  more 
  than 
  once 
  with 
  its 
  wings 
  

   within 
  a 
  yard 
  of 
  my 
  head, 
  f.c 
  the 
  same 
  time 
  uttering 
  sounds 
  of 
  rage. 
  

   It 
  next 
  flew 
  to 
  my 
  son, 
  striking 
  the 
  rock 
  as 
  before, 
  and 
  after 
  that 
  

   repeated 
  the 
  attack 
  on 
  each 
  of 
  us. 
  Finally, 
  with 
  larger 
  sweeps, 
  it 
  

   disappeared, 
  and 
  left 
  us 
  to 
  pursue 
  our 
  way 
  in 
  peace." 
  This 
  was 
  on 
  

   "Queen's 
  Birthday, 
  1900," 
  probably 
  May 
  21st; 
  a 
  period 
  when 
  the 
  

   Buzzard 
  should 
  be 
  hatching. 
  I 
  was 
  greatly 
  interested 
  in 
  my 
  friend's 
  

  

  