BIRDS Tostock nest was in all likelihood an old carrion-crow's, as these birds used to frequent the place where it was found. 119. Rough-legged Buzzard. Buteo lagopus (J. F. Gmelin) A winter migrant, almost as irregular as the waxwing, as in some seasons a good many have occurred, and in many winters not one has been recorded. 1876 and 1891 were rough-legged buzzard years, the former year especially, when these birds were met with all over the county. They vary in plumage a good deal, but are usually lighter in colour than the common buzzard, and * a bird in the hand ' can be recognized at once by the feathered legs. The rough-legged buzzard has not been known to breed in the British Islands. 120. Spotted Eagle. Aquila maculata (J. F. Gmelin) Of eleven British specimens of this bird two belong to Suffolk, both of which were obtained in the autumn of 1891. The first was shot at Sudbourne near Orford early in November, and beautifully set up for its owner by Messrs. Pratt of Brighton ; the second at Reydon near Southwold in December, details of both being recorded in the Field at the time of the occurrences. The spotted eagle is a small eagle with feathered legs and more or less spotted with white on the upper parts. 121. White-tailed Eagle. Haliaitus alhicilla (Linn.) An occasional autumn and winter visitant, often recorded as the golden eagle. The young golden eagle has a good deal of white on the tail, while the young white-tailed eagle has a dark brown tail, but the two birds can be dis- tinguished at a glance by the legs, which in the golden eagle are feathered to the toes and in the white-tailed eagle are bare to the joint. Many collections contain a local specimen of the latter, but there is no satisfactory record of the occurrence of the golden eagle in Suffolk, and it is very rare to meet with it south of the Scottish border. 122. Goshawk, jistur palumbarius (Linn.) A very rare autumn and winter visitant, of which the last occurrence was at Somerleyton in March, 1894. The goshawk may be de- scribed as a gigantic sparrow-hawk, with pro- portionately shorter and stouter legs, and like that species has bright orange-yellow eyes. 123. Sparrow-Hawk. Accipiter nisus (Linn.) A resident, breeding throughout the county, but rarely allowed to bring off its young, as it bears an evil repute as a destroyer of young game. The nest is sometimes built by the birds themselves and sometimes an old one belonging to some other bird, but is invari- ably on a tree, never in rocks or buildings. Few birds lay more beautifiil eggs, and a clutch well covered with chestnut - red blotches is an ornament to any collection. There are many records of the sparrow- hawk's migration on the east coast. 124. Kite. Milvus ictinus, Savigny. This magnificent bird is now very rare, but Dr. Babington's statement that it ' for- merly bred ' is doubtless quite correct, as there are many places in the county suited to its habits. The last kite obtained in SuflFolk was one at Frostenden in February, 1901 (W. M. Crowfoot). In the autumn of 188 1 large birds of prey were met with in un- usual numbers, and a female kite was picked up dead, but perfectly fresh, on the shore near Aldeburgh, of which particulars are given in the Zoologist for 1884 (p. i). 125. Honey-Buzzard. Pernis apivorus(Linn.) A summer visitant, which has often nested in other parts of England, the New Forest especially, but there is no mention of its ever having attempted to do so in East Anglia. The honey - buzzard varies a good deal in plumage, but the long wings and rather small but brilliant yellow eye are always distinguish- ing marks. A very fine old female shot near Bury on 1 1 June, 1888, which had been feed- ing on unfledged birds and blackbirds' eggs, is now in the Tostock rectory collection. 126. Greenland Falcon. Falco candicans{J.F. Gmelin) Dr. Babington {Catalogue, p. 230) gives de- tails of three occurrences, all in east Suffolk. 127. Gyr-Falcon. Falco gyrfalco, hinn. An immature specimen was shot at Orford in October, 1867, an excellent photograph of which is given in Dr. Babington's Catalogue. Suckling, in his History and Antiquities of the County of Suffolk mentions (ii. 236) that King John in return for his grant of certain privi- leges received from the inhabitants of Dun- wich ten falcons and five gyr-falcons, in addi- tion to a payment of money. 128. Peregrine Falcon. Falco peregrinus, Tunstall. Almost every autumn and winter one or two peregrines are sent into Bury to be stuffed, and they are certainly the least rare of the large hawks. The great majority of those 195
