Page:The Zoologist, 3rd series, vol 1 (1877).djvu/470

444 garden, and, as I was afraid of its depredations among the young Pheasants, I went after it with my gun and shot it. I found that it was a young bird, and not, as I at first suspected, an old one which had received a wound and had remained about all the summer.— (Northrepps Cottage, Norwich).

—I think I may safely record the occurrence of this Eagle on our north coast, from information I received from an accurate observer and sportsman, who saw the bird at no very great distance, wheeling about in the air, and bending its course apparently from the northern cliffs near Tahidy Park towards the south. My friend Mr. Walter Pike, of Camborne, told me of this, and that he plainly observed the full white tail, and that it was very distinguishal)le against the sky. The bird looked very large, and in its wheeling flight sometimes was nearer than at others, and was closely mobbed by different smaller birds. We have occasionally had this Eagle on our coasts in the immature or cinereous plumage, but I do not remember an instance of its occurrence in the adult state.— (Penzance).

—The following Natural History notes were jotted down by me during a prolonged stay at Watcombe Park, South Devon, and may perhaps interest some of your readers. During March I saw several Hooded Crows, and one morning at the beginning of April a beautiful specimen of the Great Gray Shrike, which perched upon a Rhododendron, but I did not see it afterwards. The Cirl Bunting was by no means rare during the colder months, associating with the Yellow Bunting and Chaffinches. It is somewhat strange that I had never met with this species alive before. On the 12th of May 1 had a pair of them sent me from Leominster, where they had been shot a day or two previously. I believe Mr. Gatcombe has described a variety of the Yellow Bunting of an uniform yellow colour: I saw a very similar bird in April amongst some others of the normal type; in fact it differed so much from its relatives that at first sight I almost thought it was an escaped Canary. I saw it occasionally for several days, but it eventually disappeared, and I was unable to learn anything of its destiny. I could not say positively whether it was the Cirl or Yellow Bunting, but I believe the latter. To the credit of certain vigilant persons in this part of Devon, the "Wild Birds Protection Act" is emphatically respected, if we may judge by the number of placards and notices which are posted in all directions, and the frequent discussion of the subject by the rural classes and those otherwise interested in birds. Whether this is the chief cause of the increase of certain species I am not prepared to say, but it is pleasant to be able to record the sight of several small flocks of Goldfinches; and upon inquiry I found that their increase had been noticed, especially by the promoters of