206 VERTEBRATE FAUNA OF LAKELAND 



The author of the Observations, chiefly lithe-logical, tells us that he 

 found an example of ' Falco Milvus ' in Hutton's collection of 

 stuffed birds at Keswick in 1803. It is not known that any 

 Kite has been killed in Lakeland during the last five-and- thirty 

 years. Stragglers do sometimes revisit the hills around which 

 their ancestors circled, in the good old days, before Wild Cats 

 and Eagles had gone the way of all flesh. 



The Eev. H. H. Slater saw two Kites in Patterdale in the 

 autumn of 1880. A single bird was seen near Lorton in 1873, 

 and another near Ren wick in 1881. 



The late James Fell used to say that the only Kite he ever 

 saw alive was a bird which he saw flying over Carlisle. Curiously 

 enough I had myself a similar experience. On the 11th of 

 September 1891, my eye was caught by a distant speck in the 

 sky which I knew from experience must be a large bird. 

 Gradually it drew nearer and nearer, flying out of the north- 

 east, until at last it descended, gliding down from an immense 

 height to survey the streets, and affording to my binoculars an 

 excellent view of as fine a Kite as any that I have seen on the 

 Continent. But apparently it spied nothing to tempt it to delay 

 its journey. In a few seconds it rose again to an immense 

 height, at which it appeared to continue its journey in the 

 direction of the Lake hills. 



HONEY BUZZARD. 



Pernis apivorus (L. ). 



A party of sportsmen were shooting a moor near Tebay in 

 the autumn of 1879, when a large Hawk came flying overhead 

 and dropped to one of the guns. It was taken to Mr. Clements, 

 at whose house I recognised it as a fine Honey Buzzard, in a 

 brown phase of plumage. This bird is still (1891) in excellent 

 condition, and is interesting as the only example known to have 

 been obtained in Westmorland during the present century. Dr. 

 Heysham was informed that it made its nest in high trees, and 

 bred in the woods at Lowther. This latter conjecture has never 

 been confirmed ; nor does it appear that the doctor ever met 

 with any specimen, except a single female, shot near Carlisle in 



