Birds. 3029 



tel, of Bedford, and is in the collection of Mr. Hervey Smith, Aspley House." — C. 

 Hervey Smith ; Aspley House, near Woburn, December 4, 1850. 



[I have no idea that any distinct species of falcon answering to the name and de- 

 scription of the lanner occurs in this country. — E. Newman.'] 



Occurrence of the Common Buzzard (Buteo vulgaris) at Laughton.—I obtained a 

 very fine old female specimen of this very uncommon bird, last month, from the above 

 place. — J. B. Ellman; Lewes, December 12, 1850. 



Bond fide British-killed Hawk Owl. By E. T. Higgins, Esq. 



The subject of the present communication was shot on the 25th 

 or 26th of August, 1847, about two o'clock in the afternoon (the sun 

 shining bright at the time), whilst hawking for prey on Backwell Hill, 

 near the Yatton (Clevedon) Station, on the Bristol and Exeter Rail- 

 way, and on the day following, whilst still in the flesh, came under my 

 observation*; for the genuineness of the specimen I can therefore 

 vouch. The delay in the record of its capture has arisen from my 

 inability to obtain the bird for description sooner, and thinking that a 

 mere statement of its appearance, without any account of locality, &c, 

 would be neither satisfactory nor interesting, I preferred waiting until 

 I could give some positive information about it. Having at length 

 had it placed in my hands for description, I hasten to bring it before 

 your readers ; and as it differs in some respects from the individuals 

 recorded in Wilson's ' American Ornithology,' Yarrell's ' British 

 Birds,' &c, have drawn up the following sketch. 



The Hawk Owl. 



Surnia Ulula. G. R. Gray's 'Genera of Birds,' p. 33. 



Strix funerea. Gould's ' Birds of Europe,' pi. 45. 



Strix funerea. Yarrell's ' British Birds,' vol. i. p. 139, 1st edition. 



Facial disk small and incomplete, the inner feathers of each side 

 projecting over and almost concealing base of bill and cere : nostrils 

 large, oval, and placed obliquely at the margin of the cere : exposed 

 portion of bill, white: lower mandible horn-colour, nearly hid by the 

 curling upwards of bristly feathers : eyebrows projecting ; irides 

 straw-colour : feathers of facial disk dull white, terminating in dark, 

 purplish, black points, forming a curved band, extending from above 

 external canthus of eye to lower edge of disk, and thence continued 

 to front of wing. Just behind the ear, is given off another, though less 



