Short Notes and Queries. 



41 



here several times. I remember seeing a nest and eggs taken outside the 

 town, some years ago, and have heard of one or two other instances 

 since. — Geo. T. Porritt, Highroyd House, Hudders field, Sept. 5th. 



Nesting of Montagu's Harrier near York. — It is not without 

 pleasure that I am able to record the nesting of Montagu's harrier {Falco 

 Montagui), near York, and as this bird is very rarely met with in any part 

 of Britain, perhaps a few notes concerning it will be interesting to the 

 readers of the Naturalist. In the spring of 1875, Mr. Widdas (a well- 

 known naturalist both in Leeds and York) and two of his ornitho- 

 logical friends were rambling through the woods, in the neighbourhood 

 of Sutton-on-Forest. They had been searching about for some time, 

 when, approaching some whin bushes, out flew a harrier, which from its 

 small size and general appearance they unmistakeably came to the 

 conclusion was none other than Falco Montagui. Luckily for the 

 bird, Mr. Widdas' gun was unloaded at the time, so they contented 

 themselves with gazing at the bird until it disappeared from view ; then 

 advancing towards the spot where they first saw it arise, they were 

 surprised to find a nest, containing one egg, placed on the top of some 

 brambles. As it was the first Montagu's harrier's nest they had seen in 

 situ, no little time was spent in examining its structure. The nest, which 

 was built about 8ft. above the ground, was chiefly composed of rushes and 

 other aquatic plants. It measured about l|ft. in diameter. In the centre 

 was a hollow about the size of a boy's cap. Other materials used were 

 cow's hair, moss, grass, &c. The egg is now in my possession, and difiers 

 very slightly from other eggs of the Montagu's harrier in my collection. — 

 Walter Rainb, Leeds, Sept. 18th. 



Kite v. Buzzard. — In the Naturalist for August (vol. v., p. 10) Mr. 

 Clarke expresses his opinion — or, as this term to a certain extent pre- 

 supposes ignorance, it would perhaps be more correct to say judgment — 

 that I was probably wrong in my identification of the bird I saw in the 

 neighbourhood on the 7th Sept., 1877. Mr. Clarke inclines to the belief 

 that I mistook the bird for a buzzard. This verdict he bases on two 

 grounds : first, that he has himself observed the buzzard fly in exactly 

 the same manner as my description of the flight of the above-mentioned 

 bird ; second, that the buzzard is subject to great variety, light-coloured, 

 even white, heads being by no means uncommon. I quite agree with Mr. 

 Clarke, notwithstanding all that has been written to the contrary, that 

 the buzzard does frequently fly at a somewhat great elevation and in 

 sweeping circles, but this habit is not often indulged in when in quest of 

 food. The bird which I saw on the above date, and which I took to be 

 a kite, was flying at an elevation of not less than 300 feet, and was 

 evidently searching for food. It wheeled around and around with 

 motionless wings, over a field at the northern extremity of this village, 

 with such ease, buoyancy, and elegance, and capable of being to all 

 appearance prolonged to almost any length of time without apparent 



