BIRDS [Iceland Falcon. Falco is/andus, ]. F. Gmelin. There is some reason to believe that Pil- kington's description of a 'spotted falcon,' which he was unable to identify, applies to this species, especially as he was familiar with most of our larger birds of prey and obviously was interested in ornithology. The description of the plumage is quoted in the Birds of Derbyshire, p. 139.] 114. Peregrine Falcon. Tunstall. Falco peregrinus, Although absolute proof of the fact is wanting there is but little doubt that for- merly this fine bird bred in many parts of the county. At the present time it is an occasional visitor to the moors, especially in the autumn and winter months, and has also been noticed several times in the Trent valley. Omitting those cases in which the birds are known to have escaped from captivity, about a dozen instances are re- corded in the Birds of Derbyshire in which the peregrine has been seen or shot. To these may be added an immature male shot at Drakelow in January, 1846, by Mr. Granger and now in the Rolleston Hall Museum. 115. Hobby. Falco subbuteo, Linn. A rare visitor, but has been known to breed with us. Mr. J. J. Briggs met with hobbies in the month of April, May, August and October, and was satisfied that they bred on rare occasions in the vicinity of Mel- bourne, but does not appear to have found the nest. On July 4, 1891, a hen was shot on Howden Moor by a keeper and sent to Mr. E. D. Doncaster, who after dissecting her was convinced that she had recently bred. A nest with eggs was found in June, 1 894, near Goyt's Bridge, Buxton, by Mr. P. Shaw (Coward and Oldham, Birds of Cheshire, p. 2 5 5). A male bird in the Rolleston Hall Museum was killed in June, 1890, and probably had a mate somewhere in the neighbourhood. 1 1 6. Merlin. Falco <esalon, Tunstall. A few pairs still breed on the moorlands, but the old birds are usually trapped or shot at the nest, so that the final disappearance of this species from our list of breeding birds cannot be long delayed. To other parts of the county it is only an occasional visitor, generally in the winter months. Most of these appearances are recorded from the Trent valley. The nest is a mere hollow, with a few bits of broken ling round the sides, and is placed in a bare patch among tall heather on some steep hillside. The eggs are laid early in May not at the end of the month as stated by Seebohm. Certain parts of the moors seem to have a great attraction for these pretty little hawks, and are resorted to for breeding purposes again and again even after both parents have been destroyed. 117. Kestrel. Falco tinnunculus, Linn. Still fairly common in most parts of Derby- shire, breeding in the wooded districts in old magpies' or crows' nests and in the rocky parts on ledges or crevices of the cliffs. Although nominally protected, very many are shot annually by keepers in districts where game preservation is carried on. A favourite haunt of this species is the valley of the Dove from Beresford Dale to Dove- dale, the limestone cliffs presenting numerous suitable breeding places. 1 1 8. Osprey. Pandton ha/iae'tus (Linn.). Formerly a not uncommon visitor on migra- tion, especially to the Trent valley, but occur- rences of late years have been few and far between. Some fourteen instances are men- tioned by F. B. Whitlock in which these birds have been killed. The earliest of these is that in which the Rev. F. Gisborne shot one at Staveley on May 28, 1779, while perched on a gatepost. Five are said to have been killed on different occasions at Mel- bourne Pool, and certain reaches of the Trent, such as Weston Cliff", have been frequently haunted by these birds. The latest instance took place in November, 1890. To the instances recorded in the Birds of Derbyshire (p. 148) may be added the following : One seen flying over the Trent near Burton in the summer of 1860 and afterwards shot lower down the river (E. Brown, addenda to Nat. Hist, of Tutbury, p. 227). Another was shot at Stony Middle- ton, and is now in the possession of Mr. D. Peat (W. Boulsover). 119. Common Cormorant. Phalacrocorax carbo (Linn.). An occasional visitor to the Trent at irregular intervals. Pilkington notes its occasional appearance, but does not give details. About 1820-30 Sir O. Mosley saw one on the Dove, and Mr. E. Brown records one shot from a tree overhanging the Trent, opposite Burton, about 1838. A third was killed at Burton about December, 1885, and in May, 1898, another was shot on the sewage farm at Egginton (Journ. Derb. Arch, and Nat. Hist. Soc. 1899, p. 2O.). 137 18
