also was a young bird. In some years Merlins appear to be more numerous than in others, and this seems to have been one of the years in which they were most numerous. Unlike the Hobby, however, the Merlin does occasionally visit the Islands in the spring, as I saw one at Mr. Jago's, the bird-stuffer in Guernsey, which had been killed at Herm in the spring of 1876. This is now in the collection of Mr. Maxwell, the present owner of Herm. Though the Merlin visits the Islands both in the spring and autumn, I do not know that there is any instance of its having remained to breed, neither do I know of an occurrence during the winter. In the 'Zoologist' for 1875 Mr. Couch, in a communication dated November 29th, 1874, says—"A Merlin—a female—was shot in the Marais, which had struck down a Water Rail a minute or two before it was shot. After striking down the Rail the Merlin flew into a tree, about ten yards from which the man who shot it found the Rail dead. He brought me both birds. The skin of the Rail was broken from the shoulder to the back of the skull."
The more common prey, however, of the Merlin during the time it remains in the Islands is the Ring Dotterell, which at that time of year is to be found in large flocks mixed with Purres and Turnstones in all the low sandy or muddy bays in the Islands.
The Merlin is included in Professor Ansted's list, but only marked as occurring in Guernsey. There is no specimen in the Museum at present.
8. KESTREL. Falco tinnunculus, Linnaeus. French, "Faucon cresserelle."—The Kestrel is by far the commonest hawk in the Islands, and is resident throughout the year. I do not think that its numbers are at all increased during the migratory season. It breeds in the rocky parts of all the Islands. The Kestrel does not, however, show itself so frequently in the low parts—even in the autumn—as on the high cliffs, so probably Ring Dotterell, Purres, and Turnstones do not form so considerable a part of its food as they do of the Merlin. Skylarks, Rock and Meadow Pipits, and, in the summer, Wheatears, with a few rats and mice, seem to afford the principal food of the Kestrel, and to obtain these it has not to wander far from its breeding haunts.
The Kestrel is quite as common in Alderney and Herm, and even in the little Island of Jethou, as it is in Guernsey and Sark. One or two pairs, perhaps more, breed on the before-mentioned rock close to Jethou "La Fauconnière," though a few pairs of Kestrels breeding there would scarcely have been sufficient to give it its name.
It is mentioned in Professor Ansted's list, but only marked as occurring in Guernsey and Sark. There are two specimens, a male and female, in the Museum.
9. SPARROWHAWK. Accipiter nisus, Linnaeus. French, "L'Epervier," "Tiercelet."—The Sparrowhawk, though a resident species and breeding in the Islands, is by no means so common as the Kestrel. In fact, it must certainly be considered rather a rare bird, which perhaps is not to be wondered at, as it is a more tree-breeding bird and less given to nesting amongst the rocks than the Kestrel. It does so sometimes, however, as I saw one fly out of some ivy-covered rocks near Petit Bo Bay the last time I was in the Islands on the 27th of May, 1878. I am certain this bird had a nest there, though the place was too inaccessible to be examined closely. The trees, however, at the Vallon or Woodlands would be much more likely nesting-places, especially as it might have an opportunity of appropriating a deserted nest of a Magpie or a Wood Pigeon, rather a favourite nesting-place of the Sparrowhawk.
Professor Ansted includes the Sparrowhawk in his list, but confines it to Guernsey and Sark; and probably, as a resident and breeding bird, he is right as far as my district is concerned, but I should think it must occasionally occur both in Alderney and Herm, though I have never seen a specimen from either Island, nor have I seen the bird about alive in either. There is one specimen in the Museum.
10. COMMON BUZZARD. Buteo vulgaris, Leach. French, "Buse."—The Buzzard is a tolerably regular, and by no means uncommon, autumnal visitant, specimens occurring from some of the Islands almost every autumn. But it is, I believe, an autumnal visitant only, as I do not know of a single specimen taken at any other time of year, nor can I find a record of one. I have seen examples in the flesh from both Alderney and Herm, in both of which Islands it occurs at least as frequently as it does in Guernsey, though still only as an autumnal visitant.
It is included in Professor Ansted's list, but only marked as occurring in Guernsey, and there is one specimen in the Museum.
11. ROUGHLEGGED BUZZARD. Buteo lagopus, Gmelin. French, "Archibuse pattue" or "Buse pattue."—Though its visits seem not so absolutely confined to the autumn as the Common Buzzard, the Rough-legged Buzzard is a much more uncommon visitant to the Channel Islands, and can only be looked upon as a rare occasional straggler. Mr. MacCulloch informs me that one was killed near L'Hyvreuse, which is perhaps now more commonly known as the New Ground, in Guernsey, about Christmas, 1870, and I found one at the bird-stuffer and carpenter's shop at Alderney, which had been shot by his friend who shot the Greenland Falcon, but I could get no information about the date except that it was late autumn or winter, and about two years ago. These are the only Channel Island specimens of which I have been able to glean any intelligence. Probably, however, it has occurred at other times and been overlooked. As it may have occasionally been mistaken for the more common Common Buzzard, I may say that it is always to be distinguished from that bird by the feathered tarsus. On the wing, perhaps, when flying overhead, the most readily observed distinction is the dark band on the lower part of the breast. I have, however, seen a very dark variety of the Rough-legged Buzzard, in which nearly the whole of the plumage was a uniform dark chocolate-brown, and consequently the dark band on the breast could not be seen even when one had the bird in one's hand, and had it not been for the feathered tarsus this bird might easily have been mistaken for a very dark variety of the Common Buzzard, and when on the wing it would have been impossible to identify it. Indeed, though it was immediately distinguishable from the Common Buzzard by its feathered legs, there was some little difficulty about identifying it, even when handling it as a skin.
Professor Ansted includes the Rough-legged Buzzard in his list, but only marks it as occurring in Guernsey. There is no specimen at present in the Museum.
12. MARSH HARRIER. Circus œruginosus, Linnaeus. French, "Busard des Marais."—This seems to be the least common of the Harriers in the Channel Islands, though it does occur occasionally, and perhaps more frequently than is generally supposed.
There are two specimens in the Museum in Guernsey both in immature plumage; in that state, in fact, in which this bird most commonly occurs, and in which it is the Bald Buzzard of Bewick.
Miss C.B. Carey records one in the November number of the 'Zoologist' for 1874 in the following words:—"In the May of this year an adult male Marsh Harrier was found in Herm. Unfortunately it got into the hands of some person who, I believe, kept it too long before bringing it over to be preserved, so that all that remains of it is the head." I had no opportunity of examining this bird myself, not even the head, but I am disposed to doubt its being fully adult, as it seems to me much more probable that it was much in the same state as those in the Museum, in which state it is much more common than in the fully adult plumage. Miss Carey seems only to have seen the head herself, so there may easily have been a mistake on this point.
Mr. MacCulloch writes me word that a Marsh Harrier was killed in Herm in May, 1875. It may be just possible, however, that this is the same bird recorded by Miss C.B. Carey, and that Mr. MacCulloch only heard of it in the May of the following year, and noted it accordingly. This, however, is mere supposition on my part, for which I have no reason except that both birds were said to have been killed in Herm, and both in May.
Professor Ansted mentions the Marsh Harrier in his list, but marks it as only found in Guernsey.
12. HEN HARRIER. Circus cyaneus, Linnaeus. French, "Busard St. Martin."[6]—The Hen Harrier, perhaps, occurs rather more frequently than the Marsh Harrier, but it can only be considered a rare occasional visitant. In June, 1876, I saw one young Hen Harrier, which
