COMMON BUZZARD. 131 



scales. The toes are of moderate size, the first and 

 second about equal in length and thickness, the third 

 much longer, the fourth about the length of the second, 

 but more slender, and united at the base with the third 

 by a pretty large web ; they are scaly at the base, scu- 

 tellate above in the rest of their extent ; on the first 

 toe are three entire scutella, on the second five, on the 

 third fourteen, on the fourth or outer eight. The claws 

 are rather long, stout, curved, rounded above, flat be- 

 neath, compressed, very acute, that of the middle toe 

 with an inner sharp edge, the first and second largest, 

 the third smaller, the fourth by much the least. 



The upper and fore part of the cere is bare, but 

 its sides are covered with bristly feathers, which are 

 downy at the base ; the space between the bill and 

 eye is pretty closely covered with radiating bristly 

 feathers, slightly downy at the base; the sharp project- 

 ing eyebrow bare ; the edges of the eyelids furnished 

 with ciliary bristles. The plumage in general is full 

 and soft, but rather compact and glossy above, although 

 the margins are loose. The feathers of the head 

 are small and narrow, those of the neck larger and 

 more rounded, of the other pai'ts broad and rounded ; 

 but the plumage has not, as some allege, any decided 

 resemblance to that of the owls, being, in fact, as firm 

 as that of the goshawk, and, in proportion to the size 

 of the birds, as that of the eagles. The outer feathers 

 of the tibiae are elongated ; those of its fore and inner 

 parts, and of the tarsus, narrow and blended. The 

 wings are large and rounded ; the first four primary 

 quills are abruptly cut out on the inner web, the first 

 six, but more conspicuously the third, fourth, and fifth, 



