NA TURA L HIS TOR V NO TES 
35 
Honey-Buzzard Nesting in Durham. — Mr. Thomas Robson, Derwent 
N’iew, Winlaton, Blaydon-on-Tyne, County Durham, sends me an account of the 
nesting of this species in Durham during the summer of 1897. The birds had 
been seen annually for about five years “coming at haytime.” They nested at 
last, placing their nest in a tall beech, about fifty or sixty feet from the ground, 
the structure consisting of a large platform of sticks, about three feet level, no 
depression, no feathers, no bones, but three pieces of wasp-comb. On August 18, 
there were young in the nest, and my correspondent states that they would not 
allow him to pick up the pieces of comb, striking vehemently at him with their 
wings but not using their talons. Mr. Robson obtained two of the young and 
one of the parent birds, and they were set up by Mr. Jackson, who stufl'ed for 
the Newcastle Museum, and who was under the late Mr. Hancock. Several well- 
known authorities have seen the birds and identified them without hesitation as 
the honey-buzzard. One is grieved at the shooting of one of the parent birds, 
as also of the young, for such an interesting occurrence is so rare that the bir<ls 
having been identified, it is reasonable to suppose they would have nested again 
if undisturbed. 
St. AlbattS, W. Pf.RCIVAI. WESTKt.I.. 
January ^ 1902. 
How High Birds Fly. — An interesting account is given in this month’s 
number of U Illustration of the enormous altitudes to which birds can rise, as 
proved by aeronauts during their ascents. Ilergesell, of Strasburg, has seen an 
eagle quite close to his balloon when at a height of 9,750 feet, and on another 
occasion he saw two storks and a buzzard at a height of 2,925 feet. Larks have 
frequently been seen 3,250 feet high, and rooks 4,550 feet. These, however, are 
exceptional cases, and it may be taken as a rule that birds seldom rise higher than 
3,250 feet, while few even surpass 1,300 feet. The German Ornithological 
Society has made experiments in the behaviour of pigeons at great heights, the 
birds being thrown off at anything up to 9,750 feet. On these occasions it 
was found that if the sky were clear the pigeons dropped like shots towards the 
ground, but if the balloon were sailing over a belt of clouds the birds hovered 
round the car and waited till a gap appeared in the clouds, when they made 
straight for it. Cloudy weather also affected the pigeons’ powers of returning 
home, birds in one instance taking all day to cover a distance of thirty miles. 
Heron-eating Bird. — A correspondent in Cornwall writes me that in the 
stomach of a heron, recently opened by a naturalist friend, was found a small bird 
of some kind. The diet of the heron is certainly a varied one, but this 
cannibalism I have not previously seen noticed. 
St. Albans, W. Percival Westell, M.B.O.U. 
January, 1902. 
Little Bustard in Sussex. — On December 16, 1901, one of these birds 
was shot near Burpham, Sussex, and w’as sent to Mr. W. B. Ellis, Taxidermist, 
Arundel. It was a female and weighed 26 ozs. 
St. Albans, W. Percival Westell, M.B.O.U. 
January, 1902. 
Black Tern in Cornwall. — My friend, Mr. A. W. II. Harvey, of Penzance, 
informs me that about the middle of April, 1901, he saw a flock of from twenty- 
five to thirty black terns about two and a half miles from Penzance. A pair 
remained until April 24, but the main body left on the 23rd. My correspondent 
adds that he had great hopes they would remain to breed, but that so far as he 
could ascertain they departed for more northern climes. The elegance of their 
motions surpasses description, and it is the fairest bird sight he has ever witnessed. 
St. Albans, W. Percival Westell, M.B.O.U. 
January, 1902. 
The “Mute” Swan. — “F. P. C.” writes of the domesticated swan as 
“notoriously mute.” The domesticated swan has, however, at least five easily 
distinguished notes, two of which are loud, and, to my ear, very musical. 
Warham, IVells-next-Sea. E. Kat Robinson. 
