Russia north of the Caucasus. 297 



district of Slouim^ in the Goverument of Grodno), in Bess- 

 arabia, and near the borders of the latter country. 



Near the east limit of the above-mentioned countries 

 specimens are very common which are intermediate between 

 the Common and African Buzzard, both in colouring and in 

 dimensions. I think they are produced by the interbreeding 

 of the two species. 



I do not know for certain if the Common Buzzard l)reeds 

 in Finland ; but it is very possible. 



BuTEO vuLPiNUs {Buteo desertorum auctor. plurim., nee 

 Buteo cirtensis, Levaill. j.). 



The African Buzzard is distributed throughout the whole 

 of Russia. It breeds everywhere in the wooded country of 

 Northern Russia, where the forests are more or less cut down 

 (for example in the country between the Tipper Volga and the 

 mouth of the Dvina), is very common throughout Central 

 Russia, and is not uncommon in the woods of Southern 

 Russia; but it is not found either in the thickly wooded 

 country of the Pechora or in the woodless southern steppes. 



I have not seen specimens of the African Buzzard from 

 Finland ; but specimens of Buteo obtained by Mr. Sandeberg 

 near Lake Onega being typical B. vulpinus, it is possible 

 that throughout Finland both species breed — B. vulpimis as 

 well as B. vulgaris. The western breeding-limit of the 

 African Buzzard is nearly the same as the eastern breeding 

 limit of the Common Buzzard, but only approximately. B. vul- 

 pinus occasionally breeds in the eastern portions of the range 

 of the Common Buzzard, and the latter is a local breeding 

 bird in the western portions of the range of the African 

 Buzzard. The western breeding-limit of B. vulpimis near 

 the Baltic Sea is the Vistula ; but occasionally this bird visits 

 the eastern portions of Northern and Southern Germany, 

 having been found there more often during the last fifteen 

 years. In the south-western portion of Russia also the 

 two above-mentioned Buzzards are found together, inter- 

 breeding there as in the more northern parts, and the 

 African Buzzard is not uncommon on the western shores of 



SER. V. VOL. II. z 



