14 



FALCONID.E. 



give some idea of the ordinary appearance of tlie Common 

 Buzzard. 



The beak is bluish-black, darkest towards the point ; the 

 cere yellow, the irides yellowish-brown. The top of the 

 head and cheeks pale brown, streaked longitudinally with 

 darker brown ; the back, wing-coverts, upper tail-coverts 

 and the tail above, dark clove-brown, the latter barred with 

 lighter brown, the feathers of the former having lighter- 

 coloured edges ; the primaries brownish-black ; the chin and 

 throat almost white ; front of the neck, breast, under wing- 

 coverts, belly and thighs, greyish-white, spotted and streaked 

 with brocoli-brown ; under tail -coverts white ; the tail beneath 

 greyish-white, barred transversely with dark Avood-brown ; 

 legs and toes yellow ; the claws black. 



Mr. Gurney believes that the variation in the plumage of 

 this species is greater in birds of the first or second year 

 than in those which are older, and that adults may be 

 known by a slight rufous tinge on the tail-feathers. The 

 colour of the iris also varies from a dark hazel to a light 

 brownish-yellow, this last being usually observable in the 

 birds which have the palest plumage. Albino varieties 

 occasionally occur, and of these the Norwich Museum pos- 

 sesses a perfect specimen, obtained at Metz, by Mr. J. H. 

 Gurney, Junior. 



The vignette below, is from a sketch of the Buzzard, taken 

 in the garden referred to at page 111. 



