Notice of a Goshawk, 8fc, by Sir W. Elliot. 321 



9. The Kestrel, or, Wind-hover, (Falco tinnunculus, L.) One 

 of the most extensively distributed species of falcon ; is so com- 

 mon in the British Islands that it has escaped frequent notice in 

 our records. Mr Selby, in his large work, describes it as hawk- 

 ing cockchafers late in the evening, "seizing one in each claw, 

 eating them while flying, and returning to the charge again and 

 again." One of Waterton's notes well describes the habits of the 

 Wind-hover. (Essays, p. 27, ed. 1838). Proa, I., 19. 



10. The Goshawk, (Astur palumbarius, L., Lacepede, 1801) 

 has already been noticed at length. A writer in the " Field," 

 under the signature of " Varvel," bewails the war of extermina- 

 tion waged against the Peregrine, which is often mistaken for 

 the Goshawk, and fears it will soon become extinct as the Gos- 

 hawk is already. ("Field," April 13th, 1872.) He adds that a 

 falconer friend had written to him last season: " This year, for the 

 first time, I am unable to obtain my young peregrines." 



11. The Sparrow-hawk, (Accipiter nisus, L. ; A. fringillarius, 

 Lacep). Common everywhere. Proa, I., 256, 



12. The Black Kite, (Milvus migrans, Boddaert; M. ater, 

 Gmelin; II. niger, Brisson), A single specimen of this bird was 

 taken in a trap at Alnwick, by the Duke of Northumberland's 

 gamekeeper, in May, 1866 ; and was described by Mr John 

 Hancock in the "Ibis" for 1867, p. 253. He supposes it to be the 

 first instance of its occurrence in Britain ; but Sibbald ("Scotia 

 Illustrata," Part III., p. 15) mentions in his list of the Scottish 

 fauna "Milvus niger, a black glead, an Lanius ? " — and its trivial 

 name imports a wandering habit. 



The Common Kite, or Glead, once so common, appears to be 

 extinct in the south of Scotland. 



13. The Common Buzzard, (Buteo vulgaris, Lacepede, 1800). 

 Selby records a specimen found at Mellerstain in 1841. (Proa, 

 I., 256). Mr A. Jerdon also stated at the meeting, that another 

 had been killed by the keeper at Edgerston, about 1850. It used 

 to be common, and, as Mr Hepburn informed Macgillivray, was 

 of great service to the farmers in destroying field mice, and 

 driving doves and pigeons away from the corn. Gray also 

 asserts, that it is just the instrument wanted to kill off sick and 

 feeble game-birds, if only spared by keepers as a useful auxiliary, 

 instead of being ruthlessly destroyed. 



14. The Rough-legged Buzzard, (Buteo lagopus, Gmel., 1788; 

 Archibuteo lagopus, Brehm, 1828). An occasional visitant. Several 

 were killed within the district in 1840-1. Selby, Proa, I., 256. 



15. The Honey Buzzard, (Pernis apivorus, L., Cuv., 1817). The 

 occurrence of this remarkable species has been recorded on 

 several occasions. Sir William Jardine observes that the district 

 around Twizel appears to have something attractive for them, if 

 we may judge from the numbers captured there during the last 



