Birds. 3475 



osprey was shot at Cavendish Bridge, near Derby. — John Evans; Darley Abbey, Der- 

 by, May 13, 1852. 



Occurrence of Montagus Harrier at Scilly. — I have just had an opportunity of 

 examining an interesting specimen of an adult female of this species, captured within 

 the last day or two on one of the Isles of Scilly. On dissection I found the ovarium 

 filled with eggs, but not much developed. The under parts from the throat to the vent 

 are longitudinally marked with dark oblong spots on a yellowish white ground: upper 

 plumage generally uniform brown, the feathers having no pale edges, but a decided 

 tone of blue pervades a great many of the scapulary feathers, some of the feathers 

 having this colour more decided than others : the top of the head rufous, with darker 

 markings : above and below the eye is a broad white blotch : ear-coverts deep brown : 

 irides bright yellow ; lesser coverts of the wings spotted with rufous on a brown ground, 

 giving this portion of the wing a decided character : outer tail-feathers barred alter- 

 nately with two shades of rufous brown. It would appear that the female of this har- 

 rier has a decided tendency to assume the adult blue plumage of the male as it becomes 

 adolesceut; and it is not improbable that this character may also be observed in the 

 female of the common harrier, and we know that in the marsh harrier old individuals 

 become quite pale in colour. In a fine female specimen of Montagu's harrier which I 

 have in my possession, the characters different from those in the specimen now under 

 notice, are the following : — 1. The whole of the upper plumage is deep brown, hav- 

 ing the feathers margined with yellowish white. 2. The whole of the under parts are 

 of a uniform bay, without spot or streak. 3. The irides are dark hazel approaching to 

 brown. — Edward Hearle Rodd ; Penzance, April 19, 1852. 



Second Occurrence of Montagus Harrier at Scilly. — I yesterday obtained another 

 specimen of this harrier, which, like the first, proved, on dissection, to be a female. 

 The upper part of the plumage is very similar to that of the first specimen, except that 

 it is without the blue or ash-coloured tint, which is observable in the other bird, a cha- 

 racter which I believe more or less belongs to very old females of this and the com- 

 mon harrier, the tint becoming more and more intense after each succeeding moult. 

 Both these female birds may be said to be in adult plumage, for the scapulary and 

 dorsal feathers are uniform in colour, without any ferruginous edges : in addition to 

 this, the breast and belly of each specimen is distinctly blotched with longitudinal deep 

 red marks upon a yellowish white ground ; these parts, in the immature bird of both 

 sexes, being of a uniform pale yellowish fawn colour, with no streak or blotch, except 

 a small capillary line passing down the shaft of each feather. — Id. ; April 28, 1852. 



Note on the Destruction of Eggs by Montagu's Harrier. — I have ascertained a 

 character in this bird which may deserve noting, namely, that of destroying and swal- 

 lowing the eggs of birds. In the first specimen Mr. Vingoe, on skinning the bird, ob- 

 served the sides of the mouth to be covered with what appeared to him and me the 

 yolk of an egg. In the second specimen the greater part of an egg (including the 

 shell) of the common thrush was in her throat, and it seems that she was shot just in 

 the act of swallowing it. — Id. 



Occurrence of the Great Ash-coloured Shrike in Norfolk. — A specimen of this bird 

 was killed at Weybourne, on the coast of Norfolk, last week ; and one was shot about 

 two years ago near the same place. — T. F. Buxton, jun. 



The Song Thrush (Tardus musicus) nesting on the ground. — This spring a song 

 thrush, in a plantation at Sprovvston, near Norwich, instead of making her nest in the 

 ordinary manner, laid and hatched her eggs on the bare ground, without any nest, but 



