NOtfES AtiD QUERIES. 27 



roost in the reed-beds by the river-side, and that invariably a small dark- 

 coloured Hawk was to be seen somewhere about the neighbourhood at the 

 same time, and that more than once he had seen it " strike " a Swallow and 

 make off with it. During the past autumn he observed the same thing; 

 and one evening he saw the Hawk sitting upon an old willow-stump, 

 amongst the reeds, almost close to the water, and from his description I 

 concluded it was a Hobby. On the 23rd of September last I was some- 

 what vexed that my supposition as to the species had apparently been 

 verified, for a wildfowl shooter brought me a small Hawk for identification, 

 which he had killed at the very spot the previous evening. It was a small 

 male Hobby, but in a very wet and mutilated state, as it had fallen in the 

 water when shot, and could not be found at the time. It is possible that 

 this was the same bird that had frequented the reed-beds a year previously. 

 Does the Hobby migrate in the same direction as the Swallows, and, if so, 

 was this bird following the flocks to a warmer climate, thus ensuring food 

 and companionship on the journey ? I recollect the time when this hand- 

 some little falcon was not so scarce in the New Forest as it is now ; when 

 its chase after the dragonflies over the ponds, or its rapid dart after the 

 dor beetle booming away into the increasing dusk, showed how active 

 it could be when necessary ; but these interesting scenes, and others of a 

 kindred type (especially with regard to the British Falconidse), are, I fear, 

 rapidly becoming " things of the past."— G. B. Corbin (Ringwood, Hants). 



Great Northern Diver off Brighton.— I received lately a fine specimen 

 of the Great Northern Diver, Colymbus glacialis, which was taken near 

 Brighton on Dec. 9th. It had only half completed the change to winter 

 plumage. — H. Swaysland (Brighton). 



Baillon's Crake in Hertfordshire. — On Oct. 24th I shot a specimen of 

 Baillon's Crake, Porzana Baillonii, on the marshes near Cheshunt, which 

 were flooded at the time. It was in good plumage, but rather thin. It is 

 in the hands of Mr. Rowland Ward for preservation, by whom it was 

 identified. Is not the occurrence of this bird so near London rather 

 unusual ?— W. H. M. Ayres (Oakville, Holly Park, Crouch End), 



[We have no record of the occurrence of this species in Middlesex ; 

 but a specimen of the Little Crake, Porzana parva, Scopoli, was obtained 

 many years ago on the banks of the Thames at Chelsea. — Ed.] 



Rare Birds in North Devon.— I have lately received from Barnstaple 

 some birds which were obtained in the estuary of the Taw at the time 

 of the severe Ociober gales. They include two species — the Dusky 

 Redshank and Buffon's Skua — which I have not before been able to 

 add to the list of North Devon Birds. The specimen of Buffon's Skua 

 is almost in adult plumage ; the breast and throat are white barred with 

 ash-grey, instead of being pure white, and the grey mantle has some of 



