FAI.CONID.-E. 





^Mii 



THE COxMMON BUZZARD. 



BuTEO VULGARIS, Lcach. 



As regards the British Islands, the epithet ' common ' is annually 

 becoming less and less applicable to this species ; but there are 

 wild and wooded districts in England — especially on the western 

 side — and in Wales, where the bird may still be seen circling high in 

 air, and be heard uttering its plaintive mewing cry. Fifty years ago 

 it used to breed in Norfolk and in other counties abounding with 

 Partridges and ground-game, without being considered incompatible 

 with their existence ; but with the increase of Pheasant-worship the 

 doom of the Buzzard was sealed, for the larger the ' Hawk,' the 

 worse it must necessarily be ! In Scotland it is less persecuted and 

 more widely distributed, though only a visitor to the Outer Hebrides, 

 Orkneys and Shetlands. In Ireland, according to Mr. More, it 

 still nests in small numbers, but it usually occurs as a migrant in 

 autumn. 



The northern breeding-limit of the Common Buzzard appears to 

 be about lat. 66° in Sweden ; but in Russia, according to Dr. Menz- 

 bier, it is seldom found to the east of the Baltic Provinces or of the 

 Vistula ; beyond which its place is taken by the more rufous African 

 Buzzard {B. descrtoriim of many authors) : and he thinks that where 

 the two forms or species meet they interbreed. From Poland 



