A HISTORY OF SUFFOLK uttering a peculiar whining cry, and in a minute or two dashed straight at my head. The blow inflicted was very like that of a moderately hard snowball, and putting up my hand I found my forehead bleeding freely in several places, while my cap (a soft grey wool- len one) was carried off as a trophy, and found the next morning under a tree about 70 or 80 yards away. Since then I have given my protegh a wide berth after sunset.' 111. Tengmalm's Owl. Nyctala tengmalmi (J. F. Gmelin) A rare autumn and winter visitant from Scandinavia and Lapland, of which about half a dozen Suffolk occurrences are re- corded. Two were caught alive and un- injured at Southwold in the autumn of 1 90 1, both of which lived for some time in confinement. Tengmalm's owl and the little owl could be distinguished even in the dark by their legs, which in this species are covered to the claws with thick downy feathers, while in the little owl the toes are nearly bare. 112. Little Owl. Athene noctua i^co'poW) Little owls have been turned out in England on several occasions and have bred in a state of perfect liberty, so it is difBcult to decide whether those which are met with from time to time are genuine migrants. The late Mr. Bilson of Bury had one in the flesh in February, 1865, which was shot at Hen- grave, and a very perfect specimen was caught at Cavenham about 22 April, 1902, which was stuffed by Mr. Travis of Bury. 113. Snowy Owl. Nyctea uandiaca (Linn.) This splendid northern species is very rare in East Anglia, and only occurs in winter. One, now in the Norwich Museum, was shot near Bungay in February, 1847, which was for a long time in Mr. Spalding's collection, and a second is reported to have been shot near the Languard lighthouse 9 February, 1886, but its possessor is not known. A third was seen by Colonel Leathes within 20 yards on a tree near Fritton Lake, 30 September, 1902 (Leathes). 114. Scops-Owl. Sfij^i ^iK (Scopoli) This, the smallest of the British owls, is a very rare visitor, but there seems to be a genuine record of one shot at Haughley in 1865. It can be at once recognized by its ear-tufts. Like the little owl this species is very often imported alive from the continent, and can usually be obtained through the Lon- don dealers. 115. Marsh-Harrier. Circus arugtnosus (Linn.) The marsh-harrier is the largest of the three British harriers, and has for many years been the most uncommon in Suffolk. There can be no reasonable doubt that it formerly bred in more than one locality, but all en- deavours to establish a definite record have been unsuccessful. One was picked up dead near Aldeburgh in May, 1 869, but Mr. Hele was never able to procure a specimen, and the one in his collection in the Ipswich Museum, which is cased up with a peregrine and a rough- legged buzzard, came from Norfolk. 116. Hen-Harrier. Circus cyaneus (Linn.) Females and young males of this species occur in the county almost every year, but the old male in his grey and white plumage is practically unknown. It doubtless bred till the early part of the last century, but the nest found on Cavenham Heath in 1 871, in which there were three broken eggs, but no bird be- longing to which was seen (Babington's Cata- logue, p. 38), was far more likely to have been that of Montagu's harrier. A fine young male was shot on the outskirts of Bury in October, 1899, which was said to have just killed a partridge. 117. Montagu's Harrier. Circus cineraceus (Montagu) A spring and autumn visitant, of which there are no records of the breeding since 1889. In that year two nests were found, each containing three eggs, one at Westleton, the other on Dunwich Common, of which somewhat melancholy details are published in the Zoologist for 1890 (p. 77). Montagu's harrier is the smallest of the three species, in colour more resembling the hen-harrier than the marsh, and occasionally an almost black variety is met with, a specimen of which is in the Dennis collection at the Bury Museum. 118. Buzzard. Buteo vulgayis, hach. The local name of ' puttock,' which really belongs to this species, is applied in Suffolk to any large hawk. The buzzard is now only a visitant, usually occurring in autumn, but it used to breed in the county. The last eggs taken and preserved were probably a clutch taken at Tostock about 1853 '"^ * wood well known to hunting men as ' Cindron Hills,' but buzzards bred in Monk's Wood near Felsham in 1874, where Dr. Babington saw the nest. One of the birds was shot and thrown away for the foxes, and in the following year the hen was wounded on the nest {Catalogue, p. 33). Like the ravens, the buzzards bred in trees for want of suitable rocks, and the 194
