1 4G PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



them. The chicks were fully developed, and were nearly ready 

 for hatching. I counted eighteen feet and a corresponding number 

 of heads, which were those of young pheasants without a shadow 

 of doubt, the egg-shells bearing out the other indications. This 

 bird was perfectly gorged to the throat, and must have been 

 scarcely able to fly. Two other Buzzards were seen since the 

 occurrence of these last ones, both of which were to the westward 

 of Dundee, and near the place where the first-mentioned bird was 

 shot. Should any more occur, I shall not fail to give you full 

 particulars. The light-coloured bird is the female, the dark the 

 male." 



In 1871 I was successful in obtaining two eggs of this species, 

 taken in Scotland on the 3rd July. In reply to queries put to 

 our correspondent by Captain Feilden, the person who found the 

 nest gave us the following particulars : — 



" The birds were noticed about a week before the nest was 

 found. They had been coming regularly to the same locality for 

 the last five or six years. The nest was built in a Scotch fir, in 

 the fork of the tree, and was as large as a rook's, and was lined with 

 wasps' nests. I saw the nest harried. I did not take the eggs 

 myself, but I assisted in taking them. The old birds flew over- 

 head when the nest was harried, but not before then. I believe 

 they leave this locality about the middle of September. I do not 

 think they will lay again this season." 



Captain Feilden blew these eggs, and reported them to be quite 

 fresh. 



For other localities where the species has been obtained, or has 

 been recorded as breeding, see Mr. Robert Gray's " Birds of the 

 West of Scotland," p. 48. 



In addition to those recorded by Mr. Gray and to the above, 

 one — a young male — was recorded as shot at Kilberry, Argyll- 

 shire, in the end of September, 1875, by Mr. Campbell of Kilberry, 

 and was placed on record by Mr. Gray and Mr. Lumsden at the 

 third meeting of the Natural History Society of Glasgow of that 

 year — [v. Proceedings, Vol. in., p. 31]. 



If these records and accounts be compared, there will, I think, 

 be found some reason to believe that these Forfarshire birds — male 

 and female — were probably birds having their breeding range in 

 Scotland. As most of the localities where the species has been 

 recorded as breeding in Scotland are to the northward of the 



