Alfred Newton partridge. Birds became an abiding interest. Those included the great bustard ("Otis tarda"), Montagu's harrier ("Circus pygargus"), ravens, buzzards ("Buteo" sp.), redpolls, wrynecks ("Jynx"), which are small woodpeckers that specialise in feeding on ants. "The vast warrens of the 'Breck', the woods and water-meadows of the valley of the Little Ouse, and the neighbouring Fenland made an ideal training-ground for a naturalist". This enthusiasm Newton shared with his younger brother Edward: the two carried out bird observation when they were together and corresponded when they were apart. In 1846 Newton went to a tutor in Biggleswade for a few months,
Blastobasis tarda Blastobasis tarda Blastobasis tarda is a moth of the family Blastobasidae. It is found in Australia in Queensland and New South Wales, as well as New Zealand. It is an introduced species in North America, where it has been found in southern California. It has also been reported from France. The wingspan is about 15 mm. Adults have brown forewings with fringes along the inner margin that are longer than the width of the rest of the wing. The hindwings are paler and narrower and have fringes along the costa and even longer ones along the inner margin. Adults are