NOTES AND QUERIES. 195 



portion of the stream or rivulet. The Yellow Wagtail (M. raii) is very 

 local in Ireland, but breeds within twelve miles, while the Pied Wag- 

 tail (M. lugubris), common in winter, is now seldom seen in the district 

 during the breeding season, although some years ago it bred not rarely 

 in the neighbourhood. — Nevin H. Foster (Hillsborough, Co. Down). 



Cirl-Bunting in Hertfordshire, Brambling in Bedfordshire. — Walk- 

 ing past Cheldwick Manor on February 14th, I observed a male Cirl- 

 Bunting (Emberiza cirlus) on the fence along the roadside ; it was 

 particularly tame, allowing me to watch it from a few yards distant. 

 A few Bramblings were also seen in that county. On the high chalk 

 lands between Luton and Barton, in Bedfordshire, flights of this 

 bird were very numerous. — J. Steele-Elliott (Dowles Manor, Shrop- 

 shire). 



Hen-Harrier (Circus cyaneus) in South-western Hants. — Some in- 

 teresting notes on the occurrence of this fine species in the neighbour- 

 ing county of Surrey appear on page 92 of the present volume, and it 

 may be remembered I gave a short account of a specimen having been 

 found dead near here some months ago. Since that time I have known 

 of no fewer than five or six being slaughtered, and several others seen 

 within a radius of six or eight miles, and, strange to say, the majority 

 were females, or at least birds in the dark brown plumage. I am aware 

 that the male of this species is said to breed sometimes in the brown 

 plumage of the second year, but four out of the six above mentioned 

 were undoubtedly mature females, and I heard of but three "blue 

 hawks." In flight — so different from that of the Peregrine Falcon — such 

 a large and conspicuous bird as a Harrier is a great temptation to the 

 game-preserving community, who lose no opportunity to destroy indis- 

 criminately any of the Hawks and Owls, all of which are classed as 

 " vermin." Let us hope some of the Harriers may be spared to nest, 

 and rear their fluffy brood in peace. Years ago, in the summer or 

 autumn, the sight of its near relation, Montagu's Harrier (C. cineraceus), 

 was not altogether a rare sight, as it quartered the ground to and fro, 

 on lithesome and sailing wing, over the moors and heaths of the forest, 

 the stubble-fields on its borders, or, more rarely, even the meadows in 

 the valley of the Avon, where I have seen it several times. — G. B. 

 Corbin (Ringwood). 



Spring Arrival of Sandwich Terns in Killala Bay. — As I have seen 

 no records of the spring arrival of this species of Tern on the English 

 and Scotch coasts, I shall be very pleased if some of your corre- 

 spondents will supply dates of arrivals in next number of ' Zoologist,' 



