NOTES AND QUERIES. 427 



Red-footed Hobby {Falco vespertinm), which that gentleman informs 

 me was shot in Essex, at Bradwell-on-the Sea, where, he adds, inter- 

 esting birds are often seen, as the parish consists of a promontory 

 which runs out into the sea. It has a white throat, and a tint of ruddy 

 brown on the upper surface and on the breast ; tail-feathers barred ; 

 legs, toes, and claws orange. F. vespertinus is a species not included 

 in Miller Christy's ' Birds of Essex.' — J. H. Gurney (Keswick Hall, 

 Norwich) . 



Osprey at Rye Harbour. — On Sept. 13th, whilst at the mouth of 

 Rye Harbour, Sussex, I noticed a large bird sailing over the sea from 

 the south-east, which on its nearing the shore I easily identified as 

 Pandion lialiaetus. The tide was high at the time, and, not in the 

 least disconcerted by the presence of several people, the bird com- 

 menced fishing for Grey Mullet. It hovered in the air like a Kestrel, 

 and then with nearly closed wings hurled itself into the sea, almost 

 disappearing below the surface. Its last plunge was within about one 

 hundred and fifty yards of where I sat, and, as far as I could judge 

 with glasses, it made use of its bill as well as claws to secure the fish, 

 and rose with a large Mullet, which it carried parallel with its body 

 [i. e. the fish's head pointing towards its head). It flew straight out 

 over the sea in a due southerly direction. — Michael J. Nicoll (10, 

 Charles Road, St. Leonards). 



Osprey in Hampshire. — During the latter half of September I had 

 heard of one or more large Hawks having been occasionally seen flying 

 high over the river, and from description I supposed it was an Osprey 

 (Pandion lialiaetus), as in previous autumns Iliad seen the species more 

 than once in a similar situation. My supposition was confirmed, for 

 on Oct. 4th an Osprey was sent me for identification from the neigh- 

 bourhood of Fordingbridge. It was in very fair plumage, but in 

 emaciated condition, as if starved, and had nothing whatever in its 

 stomach, although it turned the scale at 3 lb. 12 oz., and was 4 ft. 8 in. 

 from tip to tip of expanded wings. Sex female, but very immature. 

 The plumage was swarming with a small brown parasite — Acarus, I 

 believe — which must have been highly annoying to the poor bird ; but 

 is it not the case that these tiny pests increase more rapidly upon a 

 weakly victim than they do with a strong and healthy subject ? In 

 ' The Birds of Wiltshire ' the Rev. A. C. Smith records the occurrence 

 of two Ospreys in Wilton Park on Oct. 14th, 1882 ; so that its occur- 

 rence so far up the Avon as Fordingbridge needs no comment, since 

 the bird is not very rare in Christchurch Bay, which in a direct line is 

 no great distance for such powerful wings to traverse ; and it has more 



