76 CATALOGUE OF BIRDS. 



death knell ; for had he not kept too far away 

 altogether he would have seen the difficulty his 

 partner had got into and thus have avoided her 

 fate. 



Why I used the words contemptible coward in 

 connection with the Buzzard is because the parent 

 birds left their young starving for the best part of a 

 day. Surely, when no human being was about, 

 they might well have ventured during the silent 

 hours of the nigrht to come to them. 



In regard to this species' habitat abroad, Howard 

 Saunders says as follows: "The northern breeding 

 limit of the Common Buzzard appears to be about 

 latitude 66 degrees in Sweden, but in Russia it is 

 seldom found to the east of the Baltic Provinces. 

 From Poland westward the Common Buzzard is 

 generally distributed throughout Europe." In regard 

 to the plumage, the same author says : " Very hand- 

 some varieties, ranging from cream colour, mottled 

 with brown, to pure white, are often found on the 

 Continent." 



CASE 15. 



THE PEREGRINE FALCON. 



Order, Accipitres. Family, FalconidcB. 



This splendid Hawk, the boldest, most fearless, 

 and rapacious of them all, the one that dates far 

 back to the days when falconry used to be an 

 absorbing pastime amongst our sporting fore-fathers, 



