2596 Birds. 



the air at a considerable elevation. Although diligently sought after, 

 their extreme caution for a long time saved them : at last the female, 

 a very large and handsome specimen, was caught in a trap in Mid- 

 dleton Park, and kindly presented to us by the Earl of Jersey. Also 

 killed near Oxford in 1840.— G. 



Honey Buzzard [Pernis apivorus). In the month of November, 

 1841, a honey buzzard was taken in a very extraordinary manner 

 near Oxford. It had forced its head into a hole in the ground, pro- 

 bably in search of a wasp's nest, and becoming by some means 

 entangled, was captured by a countryman before it could extricate it- 

 self. It was afterwards carried into the town, and sold to Mr. J. 

 Forrest. Besides the foregoing, there have been other instances of 

 its occurrence in this county, one of which has been already recorded 

 in the ■ Zoologist,' (Zool. 2297). 



Marsh Harrier {Circus rufus). This handsome bird is often seen, 

 and occasionally killed in our neighbourhood. A large female was 

 once brought to us alive, which had been slightly wounded in the 

 wing ; it lived in the garden four or five years, and during that 

 period did not exhibit any alteration in the colour of its plumage. 



Hen Harrier [Circus cyaneus). The male birds of this species are 

 somewhat rare ; the females are more frequently met with. 



Montagu's Harrier [Circus cineraceus). A male, in the plumage 

 of the first year, was shot on Otmoor, in October, 1846. — K. Another, 

 the same plumage, near Thame. — G. Also met with near Bicester, 

 (Zool. 2297), and in the neighbourhood of Oxford, in January, 1849. 



Eagle Owl [Bubo maximus). A fine male specimen of this rare 

 bird was shot near Oxford in the winter of 1833. It was purchased 

 by Mr. P. Forrest, of that town, in whose shop we saw it in the flesh. 

 In the autumn of 1843, while travelling on the Great Western Rail- 

 way, I observed a very large bird start from an embankment near 

 Goring, in this county, and alight on a willow-tree close to the line ; 

 as soon as it had settled, it turned its head round, and disclosed to 

 my astonishment the features of an eagle owl. The bird at that time 

 was not more than fifty yards distant, so that even if I had not pre- 

 viously noticed its colour, shortness of tail, and general appearance 

 while on the wing, I could hardly have been mistaken as to its iden- 

 tity.—^. M. 



Scops Eared-Owl [Scops Aldrovandi). A bird of this species was 

 shot by a farmer on the borders of Buckinghamshire, near Brill, in 

 the spring of 1833, and taken to Mr. Forrest, from whom we shortly 

 after received information of its occurrence. 



