HONEY BUZZARD.— MAKSH-HAEEIEE. 21 



near Goodwood, in November 1864, while enjoying the con- 

 tents of a wasp's nest ; and at p. 491, vol. for 1881, of a dark- 

 plumaged female, caught at Eobertsbridge, and of another 

 taken a few days before at Balcombe. This last was a male 

 which had been feeding on wild bees and their larvse, its 

 throat being full of them. Another was obtained near East 

 Grinstead ; when first seen it was apparently digging for a 

 wasp's nest, October 1881. This species varies more in its 

 plumage than any other of our Falconidce, sometimes being 

 of a uniform dark chocolate, approaching to black. There 

 is also a variety with a pale bluish-grey head, and the breast 

 much spotted, which has been called the " Capped Buzzard." 

 In this plumage it is very much like a large Cuckoo. 



Mr. Potter, formerly a bird-stuffer residing at Lewes, in- 

 forms me that he once took from the stomach of one of 

 these birds a mass of hairy caterpillars of the Egger and 

 Drinker moths, which would have filled a half-pint mug. 



MARSH-HAREIER. 



Circus ceruginosus. 



Of this species I have never myself met with a single speci- 

 men in Sussex, and it does not appear in my notes. Mr. 

 Knox considered it exceedingly rare. It appears to frequent 

 only wide expanses of open marshy country, and never to be 

 found in those that are wooded or hilly. Mr. Ellman re- 

 cords (Zoologist, p. 3] 13) that on the 20th of February an 

 immature specimen was shot at Haughton, and came into his 

 possession. Mr. Wilson (Zoologist, p. 3605), on the occur- 

 rence of rare birds near Worthing, merely states " Marsh- 

 Harrier, June 14th, 1854." Mr. Dutton, of Eastbourne 

 (p. 6266), states that Mr. Vidler, of that town, shot a speci- 



