BUTEO BDTEO 97 



white, barred with dark brown ; sides and flanks dark brown ; crissum and 

 under tail-coverts white, slightly barred with brown. 



Iris brown ; cere and feet yellow ; bill blackish ; claws black. 



Total length 20 inches, wing 15'25, culmen 1-35, tarsus 280. 



Adult female, similar to the male, but rather larger. 



Observations. — This species varies considerably in the colour of its 

 plumage as well as in its size, so much so indeed that by some ornitho- 

 logists it has been considered as worthy of specific subdivision. A common 

 form in Southern Italy is the pale brown one with much white on its 

 plumage, particularly on the underparts. 



Young birds of this species have the iris of a glassy grey colour. 



The Common Buzzard is said to be found occasionally in Tunisia, 

 though I cannot say that I myself have ever met with the species 

 there, and if it really occurs in the Eegency, it must be rare. Blanc 

 informs me that in the course of ten years he has not received more 

 than two or three examples of the bird, these having been obtained 

 in the winter and spring months. 



Loche states that the Buzzard is of universal distribution in 

 Algeria, but it seems probable that specimens of B. desertorum in 

 immature plumage, were mistaken by him for the present species. 

 In Marocco, according to Favier, the Common Buzzard is seen in 

 flights on passage in March and April, and Colonel Irby states that 

 he has seen these birds crossing the Straits in March (Orn. Strs. 

 Gib., 2nd Ed., p. 168). Mr. Howard Saunders tells us that the species 

 " inhabits the Cape Verde Islands, Canaries and Madeira, while the 

 Azores owe their name to its abundance, when the Portuguese dis- 

 covered that group (Man. Br. B., 2nd Ed., p. 322). 



Mr. Meade-Waldo also informs us that the Buzzard is fairly 

 numerous in the Ladera of El Golfo (Hierro). 



Kegarding the nesting of the present species in Tunisia, or indeed 

 anywhere in North-west Africa, I am without any information. 



In its habits the Common Buzzard is generally looked upon as 

 being a dull lazy bird, but although its flight may be heavy, the 

 species is probably as active as many other Eaptores, and it is cer- 

 tainly very watchful, and always on the alert. Its flight, when 

 roaming over woods in search of its prey, is slow and apparently 

 laboured, but the bird is fond of soaring in graceful circles to a 

 considerable altitude, on such occasions generally uttering its clear 



7 VOL. II. 



