COMMON BUZZARD. 79 



stated in his contributions to the Natural History of Ireland, 

 now in course of publication in the Magazine of Zoology 

 and Botany, this species is of common occurrence in several 

 parts of Ireland. In Scotland the Buzzard is not very 

 plentiful, nor is it included either by the Rev. Mr. Low 

 or Mr. Dunn in their accounts of the Birds of Orkney and 

 Shetland ; yet it inhabits Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and 

 Russia. It is avcII known over the wooded parts of the 

 continent of Europe south of Russia, and is abundant in 

 Holland, where, according to M. Temminck, it makes its 

 appearance in autumn and remains till the spring. It in- 

 habits Spain and Italy, and passes over the MediteiTanean 

 to North Africa ; but Trebizond, Smyrna, and Maderia ap- 

 pear to be the limits of the range of the Common Buzzard 

 to the southward. 



In North America Dr. Richardson observed the Common 

 Buzzard as high as the 57th parallel of latitude, and con- 

 sidered that it went still farther north. This bird visits the 

 fur-countries in the middle of April, and leaves by the end of 

 September. 



The whole length of the Common Buzzard is from twenty 

 to twenty-two inches, depending on the sex, — the females, 

 as in the Falconidce generally, being the largest. From 

 the habit of seeking food late in the evening observed 

 in this species, and also in the Rough-legged Buzzard next 

 to be described — in the softer and more downy texture of the 

 feathers as compared with the plumage of the true Falcons, 

 the Buzzards are considered as indicating an approach to 

 the Owls. 



The beak is bluish black, darkest in colour towards the 

 point ; the cere yellow, the irides generally yellow : but 

 as the Common Buzzard, and indeed all the Buzzards, are 

 subject to considerable variation in the colour of their plum- 

 age, the irides are observed to vary also, presenting some 



