ROUGH-LEGGED BUZZARD. 39 
of the white at the base of the tail, and, in most specimens, 
the white on the middle, and the dark brown patch on the 
lower part of the breast. It has a habit of sitting with its 
feathers much ruffled and loose, which gives it the appearance 
of being a larger bird than it really is. 
Several specimens have been obtained in different parts of 
Ireland, as recorded by William Thompson, Esq., of Belfast, 
who however, considers it extremely rare there. He mentions 
one as having been taken alive about the middle of October, 
in the year 1831, near Dundonald, in the county of Down: 
the remains of birds, and of a rat, were found in it on dissection. 
Two others were seen about the same time at Killinchy, in 
the same county, one of which was shot, but, unfortunately 
not preserved. Another was shot in the autumn of the year 
1836, at Castlewellan, in the same county; and another near 
the end of the year 1837, at Powerscourt, the seat of the 
Marquis of Waterford, in the county of Wicklow. Others in 
the southern and eastern parts of Scotland; and there is now 
scarce a county in England in which one or more have not 
been procured almost every year since attention has been directed 
to its specific distinction from the Common Buzzard, with which 
species, beyond all question, it was before continually confounded. 
In Yorkshire, a number of specimens were obtained near 
Sheffield, in the winter of 1839-40. Mr. H. Chapman, of York, 
has received some for preservation; and others are mentioned 
by Mr. Denny, as having been shot at Garforth, in the year 
1833. Two are recorded by Arthur Strickland, Esq.; one of 
them as having come into his own possession. It had been 
noticed on the Wolds for some time previously, and its flight 
was described as having a great resemblance to that of an 
Owl. Dr. Farrer reports two as having been taken in 1840: 
one of them shot at Clayton Heights, and the other trapped 
at Hawkworth Hall. One was shot at Bilham, near Doncaster, 
now in the possession of the Rev. Godfrey’ Wright, of that 
place, and others near Hudderstield, and at Black Hill, then 
a rabbit warren. For this information [I am indebted to 
Mr. Allis, of Osbaldwick, near York, as well as for voluminous 
records of the whole of the Yorkshire Birds. To these valuable 
documents I shall have frequent occasion to refer, but this 
one acknowledgment of the favour must not be withheld. 
Montagu has recorded the occurrence of a few in his time 
in the south of Hngland—one of them in Kent, picked up 
dead on the coast, in the winter of 1792, and Selby several 
