Birds. 1 695 



Two little bustards, females Avocet 



Two ospreys, females Black tern 



Ked-footed falcon, female Six hoopoes 



Rose-colored pastor, male Arctic gull skua 



Night heron, male. 

 These are a few which I can remember ; should you think it worth your notice, I will 

 in future transmit you any rare occurrences immediately. — Henry Nichols, Jan.; 

 Kingsbridge, South Devon, Feb. 19th, 1847. [Please to do so. — E. Newman]. 



Occurrence of the Golden Eagle near Hungerford. — A few days since a gamekeeper, 

 at Littlecott, near Hungerford, Wiltshire, shot a large golden eagle, a bird almost un- 

 known in the southern counties. The eagle had glutted itself on a dead deer, and was 

 unable to fly away on the approach of the keeper, who fired six times before he killed 

 it. — Berkshire Chronicle. 



Habits of the Honey Buzzard in Confinement. — The honey buzzard now in my 

 possession was wounded in the wing, and taken about three months ago. It was at 

 first confined in a small garden house, and for a day or two refused to eat anything, 

 but at last began to feed upon small birds, but would not touch raw flesh or any kind 

 of offal, nor has it yet done so, although it has not the smallest objection to a rat or a 

 frog. Many birds of prey, after eating the muscular parts of any animal or bird, leave 

 the entrails untouched ; the honey buzzard, on the contrary, generally begins by open- 

 ing the carcass, and then devouring everything it finds within it. It is very fond 

 of the honeycomb of the wild bee, and when hungry will swallow large pieces of 

 the comb containing the grub or larva, but when its appetite is not very keen it 

 usually separates the cells, extracts the grub, and throws the wax away. There has 

 been little honey in the combs this year, but when perchance any has dropt from the 

 cells upon the ground, I have seen the bird repeatedly thrust its bill into the earth 

 where it appeared to be moistened by the honey. Unless very hungry it will not at- 

 tempt to tear open a large bird, but is exceedingly fond of a fresh herring. There is 

 something capricious in the appetite of birds, as well as in that of the human race. I 

 had an eider duck for three years, and during that time, it never could be prevailed 

 upon to taste shell-fish ; its favourite food was barley bread, though if grain of any 

 kind was thrown down to it, it would devour it in the same manner and with the same 

 rapidity as the common duck. Of all the birds of prey with which I am acquainted 

 the honey buzzard is appareutly the gentlest, the kindest, and the most capable of at- 

 tachment ; it seems to possess little of the fierceness of that warlike tribe. It will fol- 

 low me round the garden, cowering and shaking its wings, though not soliciting food, 

 uttering at the same time a plaintive sound, something like the whistle of the gol- 

 den plover, but softer and much more prolonged. Though shy with strangers, it is 

 very fond of being noticed and caressed by those to whose presence it has been accus- 

 tomed. In the same garden there are three lapwings, a blue-backed gull, and a cur- 

 lew. The plovers are often seen with the buzzard sitting in the midst of them, show- 

 ing no signs of caution or apprehension, but seem as if they were listening to a lecture 

 delivered by him. The gull frequently retires into the garden house, probably to en- 

 joy the society of the buzzard. The garden is not the garden of Eden, and yet these 

 birds, of different natures, habits, and dispositions, appear to live in perfect harmony, 

 peace, and good fellowship with each other. I have had three living specimens of the 

 honey buzzard in my possession, not one of them in plumage at all resembling 

 the other. One of the three never could be induced to take any food, and after living 



