Birds. 4165 



water for several mornings about nine o'clock to feed on small shell-fish, which I found 

 in the stomach of the one shot. The man that shot it was ploughing in a field near ; 

 they were by no means wild ; he told me he could have shot them before. I had it 

 soon after it was shot, and sold it to a gentleman of this town who is making a collection 

 of British birds; he saw it in the flesh. — W. Franklin; 18, Mardol, Shrewsbury, 

 December 2, 1 853. 



Note on the Birds of Prey which attack trained Falcons.— It may perhaps interest 

 the readers of the 'Zoologist' to know that the attacks of large birds of prey on trained 

 falcons, which have already been referred to in that periodical (Zool. 3575, 3684, 4052), 

 are not confined to the continent of Asia. Frank Vanderheuvel, a celebrated Dutch 

 falconer, who died about six years ago, at a very advanced age, told me that many 

 years ago, while training a cast of gyr falcons at Valkensvvaerd, in Brabant, an ea- 

 gle made a stoop at one of them, and struck out some of its feathers; whereupon 

 the falcon, which, it seems, escaped the full force of the blow, rose high in the air, 

 aud, flying away, was never seen again. This occurrence, though it took place so long 

 ago, is well remembered by the falconers at Valkensvvaerd ; and I believe, although I 

 am not certain, that the aggressor in this case was a golden eagle. I may add that 

 peregrine falcons, both wild and trained, often exhibit signs of great alarm, and refuse 

 their quarry, in the presence of the goshawk, and of the common and rough-legged 

 buzzards. — Edward Clough Newcome ; Feltwell, Brandon, December 20, 1853. 



Occurrence of the Rough-legyed Buzzard (Buteo lagopus) and Peregrine Falcon 

 (Falco peregrinus) in Cambridgeshire. — I have lately been fortunate in obtaining a 

 fine specimen of the rough-legged buzzard, which was shot near the borders of Nor- 

 folk, and was brought to me when just killed. Also a fine specimen of a female pere- 

 grine, which was shot a few miles from Cambridge, and was brought in alive, but was 

 too much injured to live. Both the birds were procured for me by Mr. John Baker, 

 of this town, who is mounting them. The mate of the buzzard was seen at the same 

 time, but has not yet been procured. — Alfred F. Sealy ; 71, Trumpington St., Cam- 

 bridge, December, 1853. 



Occurrence of various Birds in Oxfordshire. — A very fine specimen of the ash-co- 

 loured shrike (Lanius excubitor) was killed near Gassington, in Oxfordshire, about the 

 end of last month, and is now in my possession. A specimen of Richardson's skua 

 (Lestris Richardsonii), in the plumage of the second year, as described in Yarrell's 

 ' British Birds,' was shot at Ickford, in Oxfordshire, about the middle of September 

 last. A fine specimen of the great or solitary snipe (Scolopax major) was also shot at 

 the same time and place as the above. — T. L. Powys; Lilford Hall, Northampton- 

 shire, December 11, 1853. 



Note on the late abundance of the Spotted Crake (Crex porzana). — None of your 

 correspondents seem to have noticed the unusual abundance of the spotted crake in 

 different parts of the country this autumn. Several, I should think six or seven, were 

 in the Oxford markets in September and October. During two days' snipe-shooting 

 at Whittlesea about the middle of October, I saw eight and shot six, and our dog 

 caught another. And from a friend living in Kent, I have heard that they have been 

 very abundant in the marshes of that county also. — Id. 



Occurrence of the Great Northern Diver in Wilts. — This noble bird, so essentially 



a denizen of the sea, has just made its appearance in adult plumage in the very middle 



of this inland county : it was first observed swimming majestically to and fro on a 



pond at Spye Park, the residence of Mrs. Starkey (just as I have seen it do in the 



XII. C 



