Ornitliological Notes. 



205 



continuous bars of lighter brown or buff colour. Under parts 

 dark brown, each feather showing a large, elongated, longi- 

 tudinal blotch or spot of brown, and edged with light brown. 

 These spots commence under the chin and on the neck as 

 narrow longitudinal lines, and gradually expand into large 

 dark blotches over the under parts of the body. 



Young females appear to be generally dark in their plu- 

 mage ; and it is believed by some naturalists that the young 

 males are generally of a lighter style of colour ; this may, 

 however, still want confirmation. I am indebted to Mr 

 Sanderson, bird-stuffer, for exhibiting the bird. 



It occurs apparently only as a rare occasional visitor in 

 this country, where it has not been known to breed, accord- 

 ing to most naturalists. Mr Macgillivray, however, in his 

 " British Birds," adds a note, on the authority of a corre- 

 spondent, that it breeds on St Kilda. The Arctic regions are 

 its true home; audit is only occasionally seen in Britain, 

 generally in the winter months. 



In November 1860 I exhibited a young male, which had 

 been shot in North Uist, in the month of October previous. 

 (See Proa, vol. ii. p. 226.) 



2. Pernis apivorus (Flem.), the Honey Buzzard. 



The bird exhibited is a young male. It was shot about 

 the 21st of September, at Wellwood, near Muirkirk, Ayr- 

 shire, by William Grass, gamekeeper to James Hunter, Esq., 

 of Auldhouseburn. It had been observed in the neighbour- 

 hood some little time before, and was killed while perching 

 on an old tree. 



The keeper states that he trapped a bird of the same spe- 

 cies in the September of 1863, but it broke away on his 

 going up to the trap, leaving part of a leg behind, which 

 he still has in his possession. I never hear of these horrid 

 traps, without being sorry for the wholesale destruction of 

 harmless, inoffensive, and beautiful birds, as in this instance, 

 which they are sure to occasion ; all true naturalists must 

 mourn over the destruction of any of our fine eagles and 

 (lawks, for the paltry gratification of the possession of a few 

 pore heads of game. 



