Original %xtxth%. 



THE BIRDS OF WAKEFIELD : 



W^itk particulars of the occasional visits of Hare Species, and of those 

 that have been observed to breed in the neighbourhood^ 



From 1845 to the present time, 



BY WILLIAM TALBOT. 

 FALCONIDiE. 



Hobby ( "Falco siibhiteo) — 



Shot at Bilham in February, 1845, by Mr. Charles Parkin, the 

 Keeper, in whose hands I had the privilege of seeing it shortly 



afterwards. It was sent to Mr. Hugh Reid, Doncaster, to preserve. 



Merlin {Falco cesaloyi) — 



I have seen eleven specimens that have been killed in the 

 imgiediate neighbourhood. My friend Mr. Ball, late keeper 

 of Hickleton, called it " the little blue pigeon hawk," and said 

 it was the most daring and destructive of the hawk tribe. I 

 have often seen during the winter (1872-3) the Merlin ranging 

 the fields round Mount Pleasant. Its flight is very rapid. 



Kestrel {Falco tinnuncidtis) — 



Breeds at Newland plantation, Walton Park, Hawpark, Notton 

 Plantation, King's Wood, and Longbank Wood (Newmiller- 

 dam), and Bullcliffe Wood : in fact, it is of much more common 

 occurrence in this district than is generally supposed. During 

 the winter of 1872-3 I have frequently observed it perched on 

 the top of a corn stack in a farm-yard near my house, evidently 

 on the watch for mice. 



Sparrow-Hawk [Accipiter Nisus) — 



Of frequent occurrence, and breeds in several places in the 

 neighbourhood. 



Buzzard, (Buteo vulgaris,) — 



Mr. Chas. Parkin, in my presence, shot this bird at Bilham, in 

 September 1846, and gave it to me. I sent it to Mr. Abraham 

 Wright, Taxidermist, who informed me that it was a young 

 male bird. 



* Some portions of the earlier pages have already appeared in print, but we 

 think it advisable to reproduce them in a complete form. — Eds. Nat. 



N. S. Vol. i.— Dec, 187$, 



