Page:The Natural History of Ireland vol1.djvu/102

 and remained about the place for weeks after its supposed partner's death. This species has occasionally bred in England. On the 7th of June, 1839, an adult male was shot on the county of An- trim strand of Belfast bay, and purchased by Richard Langtry, Esq. The food in its stomach consisted of coleopterous insects only. A specimen of the honey buzzard was sent in a recent state from Gorey, county of Wexford, in the summer or autumn of 1841, to Mr. Glennon, bird-preserver, Dublin.55

Mr. Selby, in the Berwickshire Club Report for 1836, p. 109, gives a very interesting account of one of these birds, which was observed and trapped in his demesne at Twizel, Northumber- land.

Circus æruginosus, Linn, (sp.) — Circus rufus, Gmel. (sp.)

Falco Falco

species appears, as from the nature of the country might be expected, of more frequent occurrence in Ireland than in Scotland. Sir William Jardine informs us that in the latter country, it is "rare generally" and "would also seem to be partially migratory."f Mr. Macgillivray observes, that it "must be very rare in the northern and middle divisions" of Scotland, and that "none of the bird-stuffers in Edinburgh have had a specimen for at least five years back."! (1840.) Specimens have not very unfrequently come under my inspection at the bird-pre- servers' in Belfast. I have, in the course of the last fifteen years, known about twenty of them to be killed in Antrim and Down, within the same number of miles from Belfast. They were ob- tained at all seasons except summer, and chiefly in the low grounds. The last marsh harriers that came under my notice, were an adult pah, which were shot close to the Main-water, at

Mr. T.W. Warren,

f Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 239.

X Brit. Birds, vol. iii. p. 385.