BIRDS 
96. Marsh-Harrier. Circus eruginosus (Linn.) 
The late Mr. T. Cane informed me that 
he had observed this species about 1865 over 
“The Bogs” close to Luton, which was then 
a marshy swamp extending about a mile. 
One in his collection was killed there about 
1870. Mr. A. Covington has also heard of 
this harrier being shot along the Ouse years 
ago, but has never seen a local specimen. 
97. Hen-Harrier. Circus cyaneus (Linn.) 
Early in the last century this species evi- 
dently still nested in Bedfordshire. Mr. J. 
King can call to mind information given to 
him some fifty years ago by an old man, who 
remembered both the hen-harrier and the kite 
in this county. Mr. A. Covington’s uncle, 
who lived at Keysoe, knew this bird well; but 
it was not so common in that particular 
neighbourhood. Again an old farmer who 
lived at Colmworth used to speak of it as 
common in that parish in his boyhood days ; 
he had found its eggs on two or three occa- 
sions, and described their colour and the posi- 
tion of its nest. More recent records of its 
wanderings into the county are as follows: a 
female shot at Sutton Park in November 
1865; another in the possession of Dr. 
Sprigge, which was shot between Roxton 
and Tempsford ; one in similar plumage in 
the possession of J. Clark, head keeper at 
Woburn, which I have examined, trapped at 
Potsgrove about August 1892; and another 
shot at Ickwell about 1880. 
98. Buzzard. Buteo vulgaris, Leach. 
The early history of this bird in the county 
is generally associated with that of the kite, 
and where particulars are obtained of the one 
formerly nesting so probably will records also 
be found of the other. The most recent 
nesting of this species mentioned by Mr. 
A. Covington was at Putnoe Wood, where a 
hen bird was shot upon the nest by his in- 
formant ; in another instance, where a nest 
was situated in a clump of trees near Knight’s 
Lane, Oakley, the hen bird was shot whilst 
leaving the nest and her three eggs. Occur- 
rences of this bird with us in later years 
are by no means rare, as it is still common in 
many localities of Wales and Scotland, whence 
it may occasionally wander to the midland 
counties. 
99. Rough-legged Buzzard. Buteo lagopus 
(J. F. Gmelin) 
The inclusion of this species rests upon 
three occurrences only. One was shot at 
Luton in 1839 (Beds Mercury), another which 
I have recently examined was shot by Mr. P. 
Addington near Colmworth Wood in Novem- 
ber 1892, and the third, a male, was trapped 
by Mr. H. Gates at Sundon early in December 
1894. It had been seen about for some two 
months previously and was caught while 
feeding on a rabbit. 
[Golden Eagle. Aquila chrysaétus (Linn.) 
The Rev. F. O. Morris states (Brit. Birds, 
vol. i. pt. i, ed. 4) that two of this species 
were seen in the neighbourhood of the park 
of Woburn Abbey, Beds, in the winter of 
1820, and one of them was shot by Thomas 
Judge, the Duke of Bedford’s gamekeeper ; 
another occurred in the same neighbourhood 
late in the autumn of 1844. I have failed 
to trace any particulars respecting either of 
these records, as no such specimens are pre- 
served at the abbey at the present day, nor ‘is 
anything known of them.] 
100. White-tailed Eagle. 
(Linn.) 
The following particulars of the occurrence 
of this eagle in the county are taken from the 
Field: ‘On 15 March 1863 one was ob- 
served in the parish of Cardington. It was 
shot at, and its wing broken; it was found 
to be blind in one eye, the cornea of the left 
eye being quite opaque. It was kept alive 
for a few days, eating portions of a lamb 
which were put into its mouth. When it 
was first taken the plumage appeared perfect, 
except the tail feathers, the ends of which 
were rather worn. The tail feathers were 
greyish in colour. It was added to the collec- 
tion of Mr. Barlow of Cambridge’ (Wm. 
Thurnall, Bedford). What eventually be- 
came of the specimen I am unable to add, as 
the collection was dispersed by auction some 
twenty-five years ago. 
Haliattus albicilla 
101. Sparrow-Hawk.  Accipiter nisus (Linn.) 
Fairly abundant, but undoubtedly a gra- 
dually decreasing species. It is very conser- 
vative in its nesting haunts, returning year 
after year to the same wood or spinney re- 
gardless of the constant persecution it may 
receive. When one of a pair is killed the 
other soon finds another mate, and they will 
take up the same quarters as before ; if both 
are killed, the locality will be selected the 
following year by another pair. The more 
wooded parts of the county are naturally 
their favourite breeding haunts, and in such 
localities as Stagsden, Turvey, Bromham, 
Bolnhurst, Thurleigh, and the range of woods 
from Southill to Clophill, it has been known 
to nest regularly for many years. 
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