A HISTORY OF SUSSEX 126. White or Barn-Owl. Strix flammea, Linn. Still fairly numerous in spite of the sense- less and even harmful warfare waged against it. Mr. Butterfield informs me that a very beautiful chocolate specimen has passed through the hands of Mr. G. Bristow. 127. Long-eared Owl. Aiio otus (Linn.) Irregularly distributed and generally fre- quenting plantations of fir and larch. 128. Short-eared Owl. Aslo accipitrinus (Pallas). A late autumn and winter visitor. It seems to prefer the open lands in the neigh- bourhood of the sea, and may be seen hunting for food during the day. 129. Tawny Owl. Syrnium aluco (Linn.) The most abundant species of owl in west Sussex. In the east of the county it is considered somewhat rare. I have seen both the snowy owl and the tawny owl hunting for fish by day. In the case of the snowy owl the bird descended upon its quarry ex- actly like an osprey, with wings held straight up. 130. Little Owl. Athene noctua (Scopoli). Of late years several little owls have been let out by various naturalists, and these and their progeny figure occasionally in the columns of the Field and elsewhere. 131. Scops-Owl. Scops giu (Scopoli). A specimen of this owl was killed at Shillingbee, the seat of the Earl of Winter- ton, about the year 1850 (Knox). 132. Eagle-Owl. Bubo ignavus, T. Forster. Montagu, Yarrell and Jenyns give an in- stance of the occurrence of this species in Sussex, and although this record was possibly that of a wild bird, it is more than likely that most of the subsequent captures of the eagle- owl which have been recorded are those of tame birds which gentlemen like Mr. Meade Waldo have in a generous spirit endeavoured to acclimatize. Formerly many eagle-owls were kept in a considerable space formed by the walls of the donjon keep at Arundel. There they bred and reared several young ones every year. 133. Marsh-Harrier. Circus ^eruginosus (Linn.) There is little doubt that at the beginning of the nineteenth century the marsh-harrier was still common in Sussex, yet by the year 1850, owing to the drainage of its principal hunting grounds, it was considered a rare bird, a fact that is proved by there being no Sussex specimen in Mr. Borrer's collection. The species is now a very scarce autumn visitor. 134. Hen-Harrier. Circus cyaneus {hinn.) The most commonly met with of the three species of harrier formerly resident. Now a regular but somewhat rare winter visitor. 135. Montagu's Harrier. Circus cineraceus (Montagu). Formerly resident and breeding in the county till 1850. Specimens have been killed at Wiversfield (1874), Arundel (1844), Hollycombe and Oafham (1842) (Charles Knox). Now only a rare spring visitor, and it would undoubtedly breed again with us, as it has recently done so in several of the southern counties, were any protection afforded. The most recent capture of this species is that of an adult female which was shot at Patcham near Brighton on June 16, 1 891 (Pratt). Mr. Butterfield tells me that a solitary individual frequented the hills near Fairlight, Hastings, during the spring and summer of 190 1. Mr. M. J. Nicoll informs me that this bird was afterwards shot, and that he also received a male from Burwash which had been killed by a keeper on Jul}- 28, 1899. 136. Common Buzzard. Buteo vulgaris, Leach. Now only a rare autumn migrant in the county where he was once common and resi- dent. Certainly far rarer than the rough- legged or the honey-buzzard. 137. Rough-legged Buzzard. Buteo lagopus (J. F. Gmelin). A scarce autumn visitor. In November, 1896, I saw a bird of this species when partridge shooting near Horsham, and another the same week near Cowfold. 138. White-tailed Eagle. Haliaetus albicilla (Linn.) One or two white-tailed eagles, generally young birds, find their way to Sussex every winter. They come in the vain hope of gaining a living on our coasts, but generally fall a victim to the gamekeeper, the farmer or the shore-shooter. Markwick evidentl) confused this bird with the golden eagle, and it is curious that he made no allusion to the sea-eagle in his ' Catalogue of the Birds of Sussex '(published in the Anrt2.xTransactioixs, 1795), for in his day the species was probably of more frequent occurrence than in our times. Knox gives five instances of its capture. 284
