602 NOTES ON BIRDS OF PREY. 
surprised me, and this was that the Short-eared Owl (Otus 
brachyotus), a true marsh-owl, lately came flying at the 
Eagle-Owl on the open field in bright sunshine, and, sur- 
rounded by Harriers, stooped vigorously at its larger rela- 
tive. A successful shot put me in a position to verify the 
species. 
In the two trials that I made at the owl-hut in the open 
fields I shot three Common Buzzards (an old one and two 
birds of the year), ten Marsh-Harriers (mostly adults, but also 
some young birds, all in much the same plumage), five Steppe- 
Harriers (all old dark-coloured specimens), four Montagu’s 
Harriers (one an old male, two old females, and one a young 
male in the dark grey-brown dress), three Kestrels (this 
year’s birds), and one Short-eared Owl, while on one afternoon 
which I spent in watching near the Eagle-Owl in a little clump 
of trees I killed two Kestrels, both old specimens, and saw 
one Steppe-Harrier, which had, however, no desire to engage 
in hostilities. 
The Buzzards were most numerous in the morning ; in the 
evening only two appeared, but both of them were very 
foolhardy. 
The utter absence of the Hen-Harrier (Circus cyaneus) in 
this district was a very remarkable but well-ascertained 
fact, 
During the beginning of August a Sea-Hagle, which was 
still in the dark immature plumage, showed itself one after- 
noon, and after flying through some of the little woods among 
the fields vanished, and was seen no more 
