Ornithological Notes. By George Bolam. 385 



Common Buzzaed : Buteo vulgaris, Leach. 

 A very fine male, now in my possession, was shot at Blakelaw near 

 Chatton, Northumberland, towards the end of the year 1880. It had fre- 

 quented the neighbourhood for some time, and when killed was in the 

 act of devouring a wood-pigeon, large numbers of which were at the time 

 to be found in a weak and dying state from the severity and the long con- 

 tinuance of the winter, and which would doubtless afford the buzzard a 

 plentiful and easily obtained supply of food. 



Another was seen near Fowberry Tower, the seat of George CuUey, Esq., 

 as late as the end of March or beginning of April, 1881, and was allowed 

 to escape unmolested. 



On the afternoon of 16th September last while strolling along the sea 

 banks between Berwick and Marshall Meadows I had a fine view of a bird 

 of this species. It seemed to be very devoid of fear or in an exhausted 

 condition and had no doubt just arrived from a long flight. After I had 

 watched it for some time, two crows, which had been feeding on the 

 rocks not far off, caught sight of it and at once gave chase uttering fierce 

 "craws"; at first the buzzard paid but little attention to them, but bye 

 and bye it rose and flapped heavily away inland pursued by its sable tor- 

 mentors until lost to view in the distance. 



On the same day there was a great influx of migratory birds upon the 

 coast ; flycatchers, redstarts, &c., were observed at Berwick, while on the 

 previous afternoon a red-backed shrike and a pied flycatcher had been 

 killed near the very place where the buzzard was seen. 



Rough-legged Buzzard : Buteo lag opus, {Gme\.) 

 In the autumn and winter of 1880-81, there were numerous newspaper 

 reports of the capture of these birds all over the country and many of 

 them were within the limits of the Club. Of specimens I examined and 

 which do not appear to have been recorded, I may mention one shot at 

 Spindleston near Belford, in the beginning of October, 1880 ; this was a 

 very large bird and had the feathers of the head and neck on the upper 

 parts of a much paler colour than usual. Another fine example was shot 

 by Mr Hogg's keeper at Quickswood on the 15th of the same month ; and 

 a third, obtained near Coldstream, was preserved by Mr Beloe in February 

 1881. 



Honey Buzzard : Pernis aviporus, (Linn.) 

 A bird of this species, in the dark brown state o£ plumage, was found 

 washed up by the tide on the sanda at Alnmouth in the beginning of 

 October, 1881, and was preserved by a man in Alnwick in whose hands I 

 had an opportunity of seeing it on the 13th of that month. The "Alnwick 

 Mercury" of 8th October, 1881, records "a fine female shot near Dunstan- 

 burgh Castle on the 21st ult. by Mr John Duncan, of Percy Street, New- 

 castle," and several others were noticed in the local papers as having been 

 captured about the time. 



Great Grey Shrike ; Lanius excuhitor, Linn. 

 A specimen, shot at Eslington Park, the seat of the Earl of Ravensworth, 

 was sent to Alnwick for preservation about the end of October, 1880, and 

 I saw two others killed during the same winter, the one at Lilburn, the 



Wl 



