~ 
In the Neighbourhood of Salisbury. 113 
(as I more than half feared) it turned out to be but a Jackdaw 
in Peacock’s feathers, and although an unusually fine specimen 
of Buteo Vulgaris, of no comparative value in the eyes of a 
modern collector. On showing one of these specimens to one 
of my poorer parishioners he burst forth with the somewhat 
amusing remark: “Lor, Sir, sure that bird’s h’apropos to an 
h’eagle”—which remark he also passed on a similar occasion, 
when I was pointing out to him a fine male Capercailzie. The 
strongly-curved bill of the cone-cracking Rasor being apparently 
too much for his simple imagination. Mr. Hart writes me word, 
“The common Buzzard we get frequently from the [New] Forest.” 
And there are numerous specimens in various local collections, all 
differing considerably in plumage, but retaining more or less the one 
characteristic of this bird, the barred tail. 
_ Buteo Lagopus, “The Rough-Legged Buzzard.” This species is 
certainly by far the rarest of the three sorts which are indigenous to 
us—anyhow in this district. In 1857, Mr. Hart informs me, he re- 
received two specimens for preservation; since which time (now 
nearly twenty years ago), he has seen and heard nothing of them 
until the autumn of last year 1875, when he wrote: “We also 
fortunately got two Rough-Legged Buzzards, here at Christchurch, 
the first on November, the 25th, and the other a few days later.” 
These are the only specimens I have heard of recently. Mr. 
Rawlence has a fine bird, in its characteristic plumage, which is 
subject to far less variation than the other two species. This bird 
was killed on the Longleat estate, near Warminster; but with the 
exact date of the capture of this specimen he is unable to furnish 
me. I would mention also that Mr. Ferryman, of Redlynch, near 
here, has a good specimen of this bird in his collection, if my 
memory serves me right, as well as almost all the other species of 
the Falconide. 
Since writing this paper I am able to record the capture of four 
“more specimens of the Rough-legged Buzzard in Wilts. They were 
__ all trapped in a large wood at Fonthill, and a fifth bird of the same 
species was also seen about at the same time, but escaped destruction. 
All these captures occurred in the last week of December, 1876. 
_ VOL. XVII.—NO. XLIX. I 
