of the Falkland Islands. 151 



plumage till the second year : their beak and feet, which in the 

 old birds are yellow, are of a slaty colour, and their feathers 

 are also of a more sombre hue, and have no white about them. 



3. BUTEO ERYTHRONOTUS (King). 



It is not generally known that only the female of this bird 

 has the deep-red back, whence Captain King chose his name 

 for the species. The back of the male, which is considerably 

 smaller than the female, is of a slaty blue. The young birds 

 are of a mottled brown, with arrow-headed marks on the upper 

 part of the breast. 



This Buzzard, which is common in East Falkland, lays two 

 (though sometimes three) eggs. The nest, which is generally 

 situated on a cliff near the shore, or high rocks in the camp, 

 is composed of the dry sticks of the two Falkland-Island bushes, 

 with generally a piece of dry grass on the top, and the nests 

 appear to be built up higher every year. A singular nest, 

 which I saw at Salvador Bay, was built in the open camp, on a 

 small bush, and was, I should think, 5 feet high from the ground. 

 The eggs are laid about the beginning of October, although I 

 have taken a single egg in September. In those parts of the 

 island where there are many wild rabbits these birds are much 

 more plentiful than elsewhere, rabbits being their principal food. 



4. BuTEO POLiosoMA (Q. & G.) : B. varius, Gould. 



I have three times taken the nest of this bird, the young of 

 which has been described as a new species by Mr. Gould. As 

 neither the male nor the female, when adult, have any white on 

 their breasts, and in this respect differ completely from Buteo 

 erythronotus, there cannot be a doubt of its being a good species. 

 This Buzzard also builds invariably on the sea-shore, laying two, 

 and occasionally three eggs. Its nest is composed of sticks, and 

 the time of laying is the beginning of October. I once had 

 considerable difficulty in I'obbing the nest of this bird. I found 

 a nest at Eagle Point, and not expecting to have any trouble in 

 procuring the eggs, I shot the old bird. When I came to climb 

 the cliff, I found the nest was situated in a precipitous place 

 completely overhanging the sea, and about ten feet below me, so 

 that, having no means of reaching it, I was obliged to return to 



