354 Ornithological Notes. By George Bolam. 



except when they come under the notice of some competent person, their 

 identity is always uncertain. 



Rough-Legged Buzzard. Buteo lagopus, J. F. Gmelin. 



I examined three specimens procured in the district during the end of 

 1888. One of these was sent into Berwick, early in November, to be 

 mounted as a screen, and was said to have been killed near Bradford, in 

 the parish of Bamburgh. Another is preserved and in the possession of 

 Mr Robinson of New Moor House, Longframlington, who informs me 

 that a bird of the same species frequented the moors in that neighbour- 

 hood for some time during the following winter, but was not molested. 

 The third was captured alive by Mr H. A. Paynter of Alnwick, at a place 

 known as the Callishes near that town. It had gorged itself upon a 

 rabbit, and was sitting on the ground apparently asleep, and was so 

 caught by hand ; it lived in captivity for about a year afterwards, and ia 

 now stuffed and in Mr Paynter' s possession. The Kelso Mail of 27th 

 October 1886 recorded the capture of one at Cockburn Law, near Duns, a 

 few days previously. 



Honey Buzzard. Pernis apivorus, Linnaeus. 

 Several have occured during the last few years, some of them in the 

 spring, showing the inclination of the species to come to us to breed ; but 

 the bird is too large and conspicuous to escape observation, and 

 destruction inevitably follows. In 1886 I purchased from the keeper a 

 fine specimen, which he had shot at Haggerston Castle during the early 

 part of the previous summer ; and on 25th October 1888 one was shot 

 near the village of Whitsome, in Berwickshire, and sent into Berwick for 

 preservation, where I saw it a few days later. A bird supposed to be of 

 this species was seen near Lilburn Tower early in October 1891. 



Peregrine Falcon. Falco peregrinus, Tunstall. 



A very fine female was killed near Chirnside, and sent to Mr Strother, 

 at Berwick, for preservation, in the second week in May 1892 ; it was a 

 large bird, and had almost completed the change to the mature dress, the 

 new parts of its plumage being most beautifully fresh and bright, and the 

 creamy white of the throat and neck very fine. More usually the birds 

 killed are in the first plumage, and they are most frequent in the autumn. 

 In December 1891 I saw a young female which had been shot at Pawston ; 

 and another was found at Akeld, in a disabled condition, in October of the 

 previous year. At Haggerston, an immature male was shot in November 

 1891, and two others were killed at Holy Island ; many more instances 

 might be given. 



Mr Freeman, in his work on Falconry, laments that " a strange and 

 anomalous civilization is fast blotting out the most complete type of 

 speed, strength, and courage, which belongs of right to these islands, and 



