72' THE BIRDS OF CUMBERLAND. 



examine it, but arrived too late. The nest was 

 there in the bush, apparently based on the remains 

 of an old one ; but the three eggs, which were re- 

 markably well-coloured specimens, had been taken 

 that morning by a neighbouring gamekeeper. 

 Exactly a month after, I revisited the valley, and 

 found that the obstinate birds still held possession. 

 About three hundred yards higher up than the 

 bush was a small scaur, about twenty-five feet high, 

 out of which grew a stunted tree holding a fresh 

 nest, containing three eggs, on which the hen bird 

 was sitting. Scrambling down to examine the eggs, 

 I found the second lot almost as deeply coloured as 

 the first three, which had meanwhile been placed 

 under a tame hen Buzzard. She sat upon them for 

 thirty-one days, and hatched all three ; but in spite 

 of the united care of both bird and keeper, they all 

 died when about ten days old. The old bird always 

 sucked and chewed a piece of meat for three or 

 four minutes before she gave it to the young ones. 

 Afterwards a half-grown Buzzard was procured 

 from a third nest, and given to the tame one to 

 rear ; but this also she failed to do." (Trans. Cumb. 

 Assocn., Part VI, 1880-1, pp. 108, 109.) 



We examined a fine nestling taken this year 

 (1885) in Patterdale ; and a few Buzzards find 

 their way in most years to our bird stuffers. 



A tame Buzzard, now living in Carlisle, exhibits 

 great adroitness in catching the sparrows which 

 enter his aviary. 



During the first half of the present century the 

 Buzzard was a common bird in Cumberland, and 



