382 FALCON AND EAGLE GROUP 



while a third inhabits North America. Whatever may have been the 

 case in the past, the rough-legged buzzard is now only an autumn- 

 visitor to Great Britain, in most seasons more abundant in Scotland 

 and on the east coast of England than to the south and west. In 

 some years enormous flights of these buzzards visit our islands, one 

 such having been recorded in 1891, while a second occurred in 1903, 

 when large flocks were observed in Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, and 

 Derbyshire. Nineteen Irish specimens were recorded up to 1908. 



No British-laid eggs of this species are included in the collection of 

 the British Museum, but there are nevertheless reports as to the former 

 breeding of the rough-legged buzzard in Yorkshire, Northumberland, 

 and Banffshire. None of these instances can, however, be regarded 

 as definitely authenticated, and the great bulk of the eggs (which are 

 practically indistinguishable from those of the ordinary buzzard) in 

 collections come from Lapland. Three or four arc the usual number 

 in a clutch, although there may be as few as two ; these being laid in 

 huge nests of sticks, sparsely lined with pine-needles and black hair- 

 like lichen, which are built in trees. 



Field-naturalists seem to have had few opportunities of observing 

 the habits of the rough-legged buzzard, which is stated, however, to 

 frequent more open country than its smooth -legged cousin, and to 

 approximate more closely in its general mode of life to an eagle. 

 Rabbits, ducks and other water-birds, and in some districts lizards, 

 are stated to form its chief food. In flight the species is said to be 

 slow and heavy ; and, except when migrating, the aerial journeys are 

 usually short. The most characteristic feature is perhaps the cry, 

 which is said to be almost indistinguishable from the mew of a cat. 



Hen-Harriep '^'^^ almost cosmopolitan group of hawks collectively 

 (Circus cvaneus) ^'^"o^^''"' (probably on account of their method of .seek- 

 ing their prey) as " harriers " is best recognised by 

 the great length of the shank of the leg, which is more than double 

 that of the beak from gape to tip, and practically equivalent to that of 

 the second segment of the leg. Another distinctive feature, although 

 one much more pronounced in some species than in others, is the 

 presence of a ruff of small close-set feathers across the front of the 

 throat, and extending thence up the sides of the face behind the ear- 

 coverts. As these two characters are alone sufficient to distinguish 

 these birds, it will be unnecessary to add more, exccjjt the statement 

 that the wings are long and pointed, the long tail squared or rounded, 

 and the shank of the leg feathered only near the upper end, and 



