286 THE BIRDS OF KENT 



Hawks and Falcons rather than the Buzzards. Some- 

 times even he will sweep along with curved wings almost 

 like a Sea-Gull . The head looks less heav}^ than in the 

 common species. I am sorry to say that within forty- 

 eight hours one of these fine hirds was trapped at a 

 Pigeon, which was supposed to have been killed by a 

 Sparrow-Hawk. On December 18 and 19 I saw the 

 other. When disturbed, he perched on the very top of 

 a tall ash, from which he watched the intruder intently. 

 AVhile looking at the two Eough-legged Buzzards on 

 December 6 they were joined by a third bird, uniformly 

 brown in colour, and with shorter and rounder wings. 

 This I have little doubt was a common Buzzard." The 

 Eev. C. H. Fielding records three at Cobham in 1876, 

 two at St. Peter's, Isle of Thanet, and one at Waltham, 

 near Canterbury. Captain J. D. Cameron records one 

 that w^as shot at Woodchurch on December 24, 1879. 



In the Maidstone Museum there is an immature male 

 procured by Colonel Franklyn, November, 1891, and he 

 also secured a female on November 10, 1891, both at 

 Hollingbourne. Mr. G. Boucher obtained an immature 

 male at AVrotham in November, 1891. 



The following note is taken from the Standard, 

 November 11, 1906 : " A splendid specimen of the Eough- 

 legged Buzzard was shot by Mr. George May, of White- 

 gate Farm, Acrise, East Kent, whilst it was breakfasting 

 off a dead lamb. This bird is now rare as a breeding 

 species in England, although formerly it was not un- 

 common. The specimen just shot, which is to be stuffed, 

 is 25 inches in length, and its outspread wings measure 

 nearly a yard and a half from tip to tip. Its fine 

 plumage is brown above and greyish-white spotted with 

 brown beneath ; it has feathered legs, yellow toes, and 



