Bo2cgh-legged Buzzard in Essex. 63 



There is yet another rare bird of which I may give a 

 notice, but only a brief one at this time : it is the Rough- 

 legged Buzzard, which was shot by Mr. David Christy, of 

 Patching Hall, near Chelmsford, on December 19th, 1879. 



The bird first appeared about the beginning of the 

 month, and from that time forward was constantly seen 

 frequenting the meadows and fields by the side of the river 

 belonging to the Patching Hall and Gutter's Farms, Broom- 

 field, but I was not successful in getting a sight of it. 

 Considering that a bird equalling it in size is but seldom 

 seen here, I do not think it was very frequently noticed, 

 although it seemed to keep to this one spot, and I did not 

 hear of its being seen elsewhere. On one occasion it was 

 fired at, but not hurt, by a relative of mine, as it was 

 hunting a wild duck he had wounded. 



During the severe frost about the above date, the ring- 

 doves, being pressed for food, were doing great damage to 

 the cabbages and rabi, and more than once the buzzard 

 was observed perched on the same tree with a number of 

 these birds — indeed, it was its acquaintance with them that 

 brought about its death, for on the morning it was killed 

 my uncle had gone out early to shoot ringdoves, and had 

 scarcely put down a couple of decoy birds and secreted 

 himself in his hut before the Buzzard came and perched 

 over his head. 



On dissection, I found it to be a female bird, with 

 nothing in its stomach, probably accounted for by the 

 early hour of the day at which it was shot. That 

 it had, in some way or other, contrived to live uncommonly 

 well was beyond all doubt, for I do not ever remember 

 opening any bird having about it such a quantity of fat. 



at last shot, on the Cth of February, 1880, by his foreman. I have 

 had the pleasure of examining this specimen also, and find that both 

 in size and colouring it almost precisely resembles Mr. Smoothy's 

 bird, but is not quite so brightly marked. The flesh of this one was 

 found to be very palatable by our worthy member Mr, Travis, but 

 that of the Woodham bird was thought but lightly of. I may add 

 that INIr. Travis says that he still knows a very aged man at Saffron 

 Walden who can remember seeing bustards sitting on their nests on 

 Newmarket Heath. 



