COMMON BUZZARD. — EOUGH-LEGGED BUZZARD. 29 



Messrs. Gumey and Fislier state that a bird of tliis 

 species, killed near Cromer, " was so closelj pursued by 

 two joung sparrowhawks, that the latter were both 

 killed by a discharge from the second barrel of the 

 same gun with which the buzzard had just been shot." 



AECHIBUTEO LAGOPUS (Linnaeus). 



EOUGH-LEGGED BUZZAED. 



The Eough-legged Buzzard, distinguished by having 

 the tarsi feathered down to the toes, appears here in 



■jircumstances, the "master spirit" having passed away, complete 

 identification is no longer possible. Although locally his memory 

 will be chiefly associated with the "Dennis Collection of Birds," 

 he was even better known to the scientific world by his micro- 

 scopical researches into the structure of bone. On this subject 

 the Bury Fost remarks, in a brief m.emoir published in 1861 : 

 " His investigations into the internal structure of bone may indeed 

 be considered to have opened a new door to natural science. A 

 few of its results are given in his two papers contributed in 

 1857 to the Journal of Microscopical Science, and briefly noticed 

 at the time in our columns, the value of which has been re- 

 cognised by Professors Henslow and Owen, and other savans. 

 * * * He says in one of his papers, ' each bone is a study in 

 itself, and involves a knowledge of the muscles that move it, as 

 well as of the use it is designed for; and in the bird of flight 

 the shape of the wing, the extent of surface covered by the quill 

 feathers, whether it is pointed or round, whether the secondary 

 quills are strong or weak, are all matters of deep consideration 

 and comparison with the internal construction of the bone, which the 

 microscope reveals to the eye.' * * * A single point will show 

 the importance of Mr. Dennis's discovery and the sagacity of the dis- 

 coverer. A number of bones having been secured by one of our 

 University museums, the curator sent the more perfect bones 

 to Professor Owen, and a few minute fragments to Mr. Dennis, 

 stating that nothing was known about them. The Professor and 

 Mr. Dennis arrived at the same conclusion, ascribing the bones to 

 the same fossil reptile." 



