BUZZAED 283 



two others are constantly seen which are undoubtedly 

 different, one of them being of an extraordinary light 

 colour. I attribute this unusual flight to the disturbance 

 of the French woods by the war ; for though in former 

 years we have had six or seven at a time, we have 

 never had so many as eleven before. The last of the 

 extraordinary flight of Buzzards that visited this county 

 during the war disappeared in April, 1871. The older 

 keepers were already acquainted with the birds, having 

 lived in the days when the " Puttock " and Kite were 

 among the commonest Hawks, but now we have not 

 a keeper that does not know the bird. They appeared 

 to roost in company, for on one occasion six, and on 

 another five, were seen together in the early morning. 

 Among these Buzzards the keepers observed a different 

 bird, which was very light-coloured and had a greyish 

 head, flying also in a different manner. I think this was 

 probably a Honey-Buzzard." Writing again in 1872, 

 Lord Clifton says : " We have had one or two Buzzards 

 here this winter, and they still remain (January 10), 

 but not more than three at the most, nothing like the 

 large flight of twelve or fifteen that visited us last year." 

 According to Mr. D. T. Button, in writing from 

 Gravesend in 1872, the larger Hawks were unusually 

 common there during the last two years, 1871-72; he 

 obtained two examples of the Buzzard. 



Mr. W. Prentis states that " according to the late 

 Mr. C. Gordon, of Dover, twenty-five Buzzards were 

 obtained in East Kent alone. I have heard of others 

 being obtained in West Kent, a pair was shot in my 

 district." There is a specimen in the Maidstone Museum 

 which was obtained at Boxley, Kent, by Mr. E. J. 

 Balston. 



