116 
BIRDS OF LEICESTERSHIRE AND RUTLAND. 
Mr. J. Montague; several times between 1845-55, by J. Evans at Tickencote ; by 
Mr. H. Bromley at Ashwell; and by Mr. N. L. Cal craft at Empingham, and others.” 
His Lordship further informs me that he has seen a specimen in the possession 
of T. Eoyce, shot by him at Exton about 1850. Mr. G. H. Finch possesses a 
fine young male which Masters shot in Burley Wood, in September, 1880, and 
Masters informs me that he saw a very fine example in the same wood on 
25th Nov., 1888. 
HOBBY. Falco suhhuteo, Linnaeus. 
An uncommon summer visitant, but has bred in the county. — Mr. Babington 
(Appendix ‘ Potter,’ p. 65) recorded one specimen as having occurred near 
Thringstone. 
Sir Geo. Beaumont wrote to Mr. Macaulay that one was killed at Coleorton 
in 1874 ; Mr. Macaulay records its occurrence at Gumley Wood on several 
occasions, on the authority of the Eev. A. Matthews, and a male killed at 
Eothley, in March, 1880, is now in Mr. Macaulay’s possession. He further 
reports having seen a male Hobby, shot at Smeeton, in January, 1888, by jMr. 
John Peberdy. Mr. Davenport writes : — “ A pair were shot by the keeper at 
Stock erston Wood in the summer of 1881. One was chasing the other, and 
both were killed by one discharge, and hung on a tree with other vermin. 
The late Mr. Widdowson reported three during 1880, and Elkington has 
received several within the past twenty years, reporting one, a male, caught by 
nets in 1882. Some years ago I purchased one (a male, in the flesh) killed at 
Hinckley, and another (a mounted specimen), at Sir Beaumont Dixie’s sale in 
September, 1885, shot at Bosworth Park. Both are now in the Museum. I saw, 
in 1888, a specimen in the collection of Mr. H. C. Woodcock, of Eearsby, which, 
he informed me, was shot at Brentingby many years ago. 
According to Harley, “ it usually breeds in the deserted nest of a Carrion- 
Crow or Magpie, which it repairs. In the summer of 1840, a pair of Hobbies 
took up their abode in the deserted nest of a Magpie, on a large elm standing 
in a hedgerow within the lordship of Houghton. Some of the young birds 
were taken from the nest and made pets of by a neighbouring gentleman, who 
kept them for some time. Chaplin, of Groby, in the month of September, 
1841, met with this species in Martinshaw Wood. The parent birds were 
destroyed, and the young ones taken away.” 
In Eutland. — As in Leicestershire. — Lord Gainsborough writes : — “ Appears 
frequently (probably every year) in the woods about Barnsdale. Eeported also 
from Normanton by Mr. J. Montague.” I have seen, in the possession of 
Thos. Allies, one of Lord Gainsborough’s keepers, a large female specimen which 
was shot in Barnsdale M'^ood some years ago. C. Masters states that old and 
young are killed, almost every spring, at Burley-on-the-Hill, and he shewed 
me two fine male specimens which were shot at Burley Ponds about 1882, and 
