132 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



9. Buzzard. Buteo vulgaris, Leach. — Not a common species 

 on the East coast, possibly from want of suitable localities 

 for nesting. I have seen them at most times of the year ; and they 

 are so easily trapped that the wonder is there are so many left. A 

 pair once bred in the rocky part of the river Brora, referred to 

 under the Kestrel, and the eggs, two in number, were taken on the 

 11th of May, 1874, and sent to me. I never heard of their breed- 

 ing there before or since. The keeper told me that neither of the 

 birds were killed. It seems a great pity that the Buzzard should 

 be so persistently killed, as it is a comparatively harmless bird, and 

 a fine looking object on the wing. 



10. Rough-legged Buzzard. Buteo lag opus (Gmel.). — I saw 

 a specimen of this bird in Mr. Macleay's shop in Inverness, and 

 which, he told me, had been sent from Helmsdale to be stuffed. I 

 have also seen specimens from Berriedale, the Duke of Portland's 

 forest, in Caithness. 



11. Honey Buzzard. Pernis apivorus (Lin.). — This species has 

 certainly occurred thrice on the East coast, once at Dunrobin in 

 the summer of 1878, and another example was killed in the Helms- 

 dale strath, near Kildonan, and is now in the Dunrobin Museum. 

 I forget the year, but it was in the early autumn. This latter is a fine 

 specimen, and, if I remember rightly, is a male ; the other is not so 

 good. One shot by a friend staying with me at Balnacoil on the 

 11th of Sept., 1879, had still a little down adhering to the tips of 

 the feathers.* 



12. Hen-Harrier. Circus cyaneus (Lin.). — This destructive bird 

 still seems to hold its ground well, the East coast being apparently 

 well adapted to it. The same site is occupied year after year, 

 which makes it easy for a keeper, once he knows the ground well, 

 to find out every Hawk's nest on his shooting. One day I took two 

 nests without any information as to where I could get them, 

 containing four and six eggs respectively, and I shot the hens from 

 each, missing the cock at one nest, and it, I find from a note 



* See my remarks to this Society upon the occurrences of Honey Buzzards 

 along the East Coast of Scotland, and regarding its having once at least bred 

 in Scotland. Proc, 30th Sept., 1879, vol. iv., pp. 145-7. As will be seen 

 there, the birds breeding are believed to leave about the middle of Sept. , and, 

 as they are late breeders, laying in June and July, they probably do not, in 

 this country at least, rear more than one brood. Eggs taken on 3rd July were 

 quite fresh. — J. A. H. -B. 



