FALCONIDAE 165 



only form thence recorded seeming to be B. solitarhis of the Sand- 

 wicli Archipelago — the Fandlon solitarius of Cassin and so- 

 called Omjcliotes gruheri of Mr. Eidgvvay. All may be represented 

 both in appearance and manners by B. vulgaris, the Common Buz- 

 zard, which breeds not uncommonly in a few wild districts of 

 Britain, chiefly towards the west, and is found on migration in 

 other parts. Abroad the range includes the Atlantic Islands, West 

 and Central Europe, whence it strays at times to Eastern Europe, 

 Asia Minor, and North Africa ; the resident bird of those countries, 

 however, is B. desertorum. The colour above is brown, with slight 

 white marks and twelve dusky Ijars on the tail, the lower surface 

 being yellowish-white with brown streaks ; but varieties are very 

 frequent in the genus, and these may be either darker or exhibit 

 creamy tints, a trimorphic tendency of which the Sandwich 

 Islands form is a notable instance. The English name Puttock 

 and the Welsh Cetn appear to be applied indiscriminately to the 

 Common Buzzard and the Kite. The flight is powerful, though 

 slow and heavy, nor is it uncommon to see individuals circling 

 in the air or poising themselves aloft on motionless wings ; when 

 quartering the ground the movements are not unlike those of 

 Harriers, but the style is more steady, and the operations less 

 protracted. Much of the food consists of small mammals, and 

 especially rodents ; it includes, however, small birds, reptiles, 

 frogs, Iseetles, and grasshoppers; and many gamekeepers now 

 recognise the bird's utility by protecting its breeding-quarters. 

 Its congener B. jakcd is even more useful, and destroys large or 

 venomous snakes. Furthermore, the custom of darting upon the 

 prey from some post of vantage remains to be noticed. The nest, 

 commonly situated in trees, is equally often in rocks ; those 

 selected not being necessarily lofty, but frequently mere outcrops 

 on the sides of hill -valleys, in which case access is easy even 

 without a rope. The materials used are much the same as in the 

 case of the Golden Eagle, but finer ; a like fancy being shewn for 

 green foliage, though ivy and so forth take the place of pine- 

 shoots, as being more readily obtainable. The eggs are white or 

 greenish, commonly blotched or spotted to a greater or less extent 

 with dark brown, red, or lilac ; the hen sits very closely, the 

 cock meanwhile soaring above the intruder's head, and uttering his 

 characteristic cat-like mew. B. desertoruin, of all Africa, South- 

 East Europe, and the countries to India inclusive, which has been 



