NOTES AND QUERIES. 383 



in Hereford, I was able to examine the birds and his notes on them, which 

 contain the following interesting particulars : — Cere, grey ; iris, bright 

 orange-yellow, showing that the birds were adult ; contents of crop, wasp 

 grubs, some pieces of the wasp's nest still adhering to the base of the bill 

 of the female bird. It seems a pity, seeing the nature of the food of the 

 Honey Buzzard, that such beautiful and useful creatures are not allowed 

 to live in peace ; but Bishopswood is an estate on which the landlord does 

 not reside, and the keepers, no doubt, kill everything that does not actually 

 increase the stock of pheasants. Now that Major McCalmont has come 

 into the property, we may hope that so good a sportsman will endeavour in 

 future to improve matters, and protect the Honey Buzzards, when next a 

 pair visits this locality. I am informed that some years ago £40 was 

 offered for a pair of these birds, with the eggs and nest, in this locality ; but 

 in the present case there was no question of bribe, only ignorance in 

 mistaking the birds for Kites. — W. E. de Winton. 



Hobby in Wiltshire. — It may be of interest to know that a Hobby 

 [Falco subbuteo) was shot at Seend, near Melkshain, about the second week 

 of September. It was seen flying about in company with three others, but 

 its sex was not positively ascertained, on account of its body having been 

 thrown away by the amateur who skinned it. It was eventually sent to 

 Mr. H. W. Marsden to be preserved, and through his courtesy I was 

 enabled to examine the skin. — C. B. Horsbrugh (4, Richmond Hill, Bath). 



Immigration of the Solitary Snipe.— The Solitary Snipe, Gallinago 

 major, is an annual visitor to this country in autumn, and so far as my 

 experience goes, arrives long before the majority of the Common Snipe 

 from the Contiuent put in their appearance. The name " Solitary " is well 

 bestowed, although the contrary has been asserted (see Stevenson's ' Birds 

 of Norfolk,' vol. ii. p. 30). I have never heard of a wisp of these birds 

 being seen, or even a couple being flushed at the same time, although one 

 day in the last week of August (twenty years ago), I came across three on 

 the same marsh (the town marshes at Aldeburgh, Suffolk), two of which 

 were bagged. But they were a long way apart, and on dry ground. They 

 were easily recognizable from the Common Snipe (of which a few home- 

 bred birds were about in the dykes) by their heavier flight, and by the 

 white outer tail-feathers, which were flirted as the bird rose. In these 

 same marshes, on Aug. 21st, 1876, the late Mr. N. F. Hele, of Aldeburgh, 

 shot one in the dusk as it was running on the ground ; and the late Mr. 

 Herbert Greenwood informed me that he had shot several there at 

 intervals, late in August or early in September. I suspect they may be 

 found there every year, for this locality lies right in the way of immigrants 

 from the Continent. As a rule, these birds affect drier situations than the 

 Common Snipe, as I have already observed in my ■ Handbook of British 



