Birds. 5097 



returned it had been thrown away by the servants. Now in size, in the colour of the 

 irides and leg's, and in the general markings of the plumage, a female honey buzzard 

 is not unlike a goshawk, and might easily be mistaken for one by a superficial 

 observer. On seeing the eggs some short time after they were taken, and knowing 

 from their colour that they could not possibly be what the label asserted, I made fur- 

 ther enquiries, and learned from the keeper that about a month after he had killed the 

 first, he shot a second hawk, which he took to be the cock bird, and which had always 

 remained in the vicinity of the nest: he described it as being very handsome, with a 

 great deal of while about it, and added that he had never seen anything like it before 

 or since. Sad to relate, this valuable bird, which would have been a prize to any 

 Museum, went to ornament the back of a barn. The eggs, which are now in my 

 possession, agree exactly with the dimensions given by Mr. Yarrell for the egg of the 

 honey buzzard : in colour they resemble that of the kestrel ; perhaps they are rather 

 darker than most eggs of this bird, and when fresh they were much brighter than they 

 are at present. I know of no other hawk except the peregrine falcon — and this bird 

 does not breed inland — which produces eggs of this size and colour; and therefore, if 

 I am wrong in calling my eggs those of the honey buzzard, will some of the readers 

 of the * Zoologist' suggest what they may be? — C. Buchanan ; Hales, Market Dray, 

 ton, April 12, 1856. 



Early Arrival of the Willow Wren. — March 20, 1856, 1 o'clock, p. m. ; wind N.W. ; 

 therm. 51°. Observed five or six chiffchaffs near Steephill, about half a mile from 

 this place. They were flying in and out of the hedges, and occasionally into the 

 larger trees. I had a momentary view only of a yellow wood wren. I also give, from 

 my note-book, the dates, showing when they were first observed in former years by 

 me ; also extracts from White's ' Natural History of Selborne,' Montagu's ' Ornitho- 

 logical Dictionary,' and Macgillivray's ' British Birds.' 



Extract from Capt. H.'s Note -book. 



Ventnor, Isle of Wight: — 



1852. April 4, observed first willow wren. 



1853. ,, 7, „ „ 



1854. „ 11, 



1855. „ 17, „ „ 



White. 



"Willow wren or chiffchaff" " is usually first heard about the 20th March.' 



Montagu. 



" The wood wren appearing with us about the latter end of April." " Yellow wren 

 comes to us early in April." 



Macgillivray. 

 Short-winged wood wren or chiffchaff: " It arrives about the beginning of April." 



It would therefore appear that, notwithstanding the severe^eather that has prevailed 

 of late, the wood wren has this season arrived unusually early. — H. W. Hadfield ; 

 High Cliff, Ventnor, Isle of Wight, March 20, 1856. 



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