COMMON BUZZARD. 223 



The Common Buzzard builds in the New Forest 

 every year. A man, who was for seven years a keeper 

 in the forest, told one of us he had often seen them 

 and taken their eggs. He found the young ones very 

 spiteful, and they defended themselves vigorously. 

 He said that a man who used to bring eggs to him 

 told him that on getting up to a Buzzard's nest, the 



COMMON BUZZARD. 



biggest adder he ever saw in his life darted from it. 

 The nest contained two young ones, and he thought 

 the old birds must have taken it up to feed them 

 with. 



When these birds commence nesting operations, 

 they may frequently be seen circling high in the air, 

 uttering their shrill and mournful scream ; at other 

 times they fly very low over the ground. The same 



