Either the last-mentioned locality must be an attractive one to this species of hawk, or the keeper referred to is more than nsiially discriminating in his pursuit of so-called vermin, for in June, 1869, he shot another Hobby on the same property at Newtown Barry, and the owner, Mr. R.W. Hall Dare, not only forwarded a note of the occurrence, which was published in 'The Field' of July 3rd, 1869, but was good enough at the same lime to send the bird for identification; so that any doubt which might have existed as to the species being correctly named by him was thereby removed.
On referring to his note, I find that allusion is made to a specimen of the Hobby in the Belfast Museum, but I learn from Mr. Douglas Ogilby that this is probably a mistake, since he has ascertained, from Mr. Darragh, the Curator of the Museum in question, that the only, example of Falco subbuteo in the collection is a badly stuffed specimen from the South of France.
In 'The Zoologist' for 1875 (p. 4537), Mr. John Sclater has recorded the capture of an adult female Hobby, which was shot by Mr. H.A. Hamilton at Balbriggan, County Dublin, on the 7th June, 1875, and was forwarded to him in the flesh. An examination of the contents of the stomach revealed the previouly unsuspected fact that the Hobby sometimes preys upon bats, for two skulls with the under jaw-bones attached and some wing-bones of bats were brought to light.
For my own part, I am not much surprised at this, for the Hobby, like its congener, the Red-footed Falcon, seeks much of its prey at twilight, when moths and beetles are on the wing, and would therefore be likely at times to meet with bats. A flight at a Noctule with a Hobby would be a sight to gladden the eye of a falconer, and although this large bat flies so high, and is capable of turning very rapidly, I make no doubt that the Hobby could take it if so minded, for I have known this bird to pursue and overtake a Swallow—a much more nimble prey.
From the foregoing notes it would appear that there are at least five well-authenticated instances of the occurrence of the Hobby in Ireland, and it is not unreasonable to assume that others may have escaped observation. Greater attention being given now-a-days to Ornithology, and more exactness in the method of observing, it is not unlikely that Irish naturalists will find this bird to be a more frequent visitor in summer to Ireland than has been hitherto suspected.
