SPARROW-HAWK.
Hie lightships; and tin' matter of a Yarmouth 1 ishing-lugger told me lliul lie observed a large female Sparrow-
Hank strike at a Peewit, when botli came down into t h e water. This occurred while he was engaged on t he
home voyage, halfway between the " Ncwarp " lightship and the " Knoll " buoy, about the middle of October.
As the birds appeared unable to rise, the boat was headed towards them and the deidle* got ready so as to
ellect a capture. When close at hand and just in front of the net, the llawk fluttered towards the Peewit,
ami, mounting on its back, spread her wings and succeeded in making her escape. The Plover was secured,
and his IIight-feathers being cut, he was kept on the deck of the boat, where he speedily became reconciled to
confinement.
I t is staled that this Hawk occasionally places its nest in rocks where trees are scarce. Sot one, however,
so located has come under iny own observation. In every instance where I have examined their breodiugquartcrs
Ihey appeared to have made use of the deserted nests of some of the various members of the Crowtribe.
I noticed both male and female employed in supplying food to their young brood. I mention this fact,
as it has been remarked that the female in some instances receives the prey from the male and conveys it to
the nest. The young are at lirst covered with a white or rather a dirty whitish down.
The Plate shows a brood rather more than half-Hedged. The nest had been constructed and made use of
the previous season by a pair of Grey Crows iu the birch-wood overlooking Loch Craggie, in Sutherland.
While engaged ¡11 procuring the ukive-nieiitioned specimens, I was somewhat surprised to notice the early
hour at which the old birds brought food to their young. Both male anil female were exceedingly wary; and,
having attempted in vain lo obtain a shot as they came in to roost, I determined to he on the spot before
daylight. Neither bird appeared to be in the vicinity of the lies'- when I cautiously made my way to the foot
of the treo soon after two o'clock; but before many minutes had elapsed I heard their screams in dill'erent
parts of the wood gradually drawing closer, and before it was fairly light I had shot both birds, lliough not
before onu of thclu had managed to pay one visit to the nest and make its escape, owing to the darkness,
beneath the trees. I discovered that two Pipits had been brought as food, though how they had been secured
at that early hour does not seem clear. The small birds could hardly, I should imagine, have been astir before
daylight; and it would almost appear that they must have been captured the day before and stored Up for future
use. Possibly owing to our presence in the neighbourhood of the wood during the previous afternoon anil
evening, the old birds had been hindered from bringing in what food they had procured. The Meadow-Pipit
was remarkably plentiful in the district; hut I cannot call to mind having ever noticed them 011 t he move till
after sunrise. The Hawk tribe arc particularly restless; I have frequently heard their warning cry at all hours
of the night when passing near their quarters.
• The landing-net.
M A R S H - H A R R I E R .
emeus YERUGINOSUS.
GoHatDMUOra the time I have spent at all seasons of the year in the neighbourhood of the fens and broads
of the eastern counties, as well as in other quarters that are frequented by this species, the observations I
have been enabled to record concerning its habits are scanty in the extreme.
The Marsh-Harrier is stated on good authority to occur in Scotland. Ilere, to the best of my knowledge,
1 have seen but a single specimen, an immature bird which I noticed in East Lothian, The only adults I could
ever positively identify were a pair I observed sailing over the reed-beds on Wioken fen, near Ely. Occasionally
one or two were seen beating about the feu-lands of Qui, Walerbeaeh, and Swalfhaui, in the neighbourhood of
Cambridge; these, I believe, were all immature. In Norfolk the species is still far from uncommon, although
I never discovered the nest. I have watched them at all seasons of the year ; but noue I met with appeared
to have arrived at maturity. Fifteen or twenty years ago a stray bird was now and then observed in the
vicinity of the reedy pools on Romuey Marsh, in Kent; and in Sussex the flat country round Wiuchcbea ami
Peveusey Marsh were occasionally visited by these Harriers, though none, I believe, were ever reported to
have bred in either county. Iu Cornwall a single specimen came under my uotiee hunting over the furzecovered
bill-side that slopes down to the pool on Maraiion marsh, near Penzance.
During a residence of a couple of years within a mile or two of Gullaue links, in East Lothian (a favourite
locality for this species according to some writers), I had the opportunity of observing the habits of many
birds of prey. The rabbits on these sandy bills, which are here and there interspersed with pools of water anil
beds of rushes, are, I imagine, the chief attraction to the larger species, while the numbers of small Waders
that haunt the marshy portions of the ground alt'ord an almost endless supply of food to those less powerful.
At different times, between the two extremities of the links (which stretch fur several miles along the coast
from, the tir-woods of Archer Held on the east to the shores of Aherlady burn on ihe ivest), I have watched two
or three young White-tailed Fagles, several Peregrines, Kestrels, Sparrow-Hawks, ami Merlins, as well as aa
occasional Buzzard. Harriers, however, with the single exception mentioned above, were only conspicuous by
their absence. Early in the autumn of 1SM3 this specimen was noli I Happies backwards and forwards mer
the low-laying marshes towards the west end of the links. A Snipe, which 1 hail partially crippled by a long
shot, took refuge among the sedges and water-plants near the shores of the firth; the bird was almost incapacitated
from flying, and while falling attracted file attention of the Harrier. In order to obtain a shot at the
latter I withdrew behind Ihe shelter of one of the sandbanks, hoping that he might settle to his prey. The
Snipe, however, had sufficient strength left to rise when closely threatened; and this performance was repeated
so often, the Hawk working as if desirous of wearing down rather than striking his victim, that I came to the
conclusion he would make no attempt to take any prey while it was able to get on wing.
I n Norfolk, although I seldom passed a day while shooting iu the eastern part of the county without
one or more coming under observation, I have never been able to record an instance even of wounded