COMMON BUZZARD. 17 



While partridge-shooting at West Grinstead^ iu September 

 1877^ I saw a Buzzard circling about at a great height for 

 several liours^ but never saw it alight. Thus far my own 

 notes. 



When this species was not uncommon in Sussex, it was, if 

 distinguished at all, called the " Puttock," but the larger 

 hawks indiscriminately went by the name of Kites. Under 

 this last title I used frequently to see the Common Buzzard 

 in my younger days. 



Respecting the food of this bird Willughby (Ornithology, 

 Book ii. p. 71) has the following : — 



" It feeds not only upon Mice and IMoles, but also upon 

 Birds : For out of the stomach of one that we opened we 

 took a small Bird entire, and out of the stomach of another 

 even a Thrush. It is a great destroyer of Conies : Yet for 

 want of better food it will feed upon Beetles, Earth-worms, 

 and other Insects. ^^ 



The late Mr. Knox considered it one of our most un- 

 common birds. 



Mr. Ellman mentions in the ' Zoologist ' (p. 3029) that he 

 ol)tained a very fine old female from Laughtou, in November 

 1850, and (p. 3357) two trapped near Brede in January 

 1852, obser^^ng that he did not know of more than twenty 

 specimens having been obtained in the county in the last 

 twenty years. Mr. Wilson says (p. 6604), under date of 

 November 1855, that in the last four years six specimens had 

 been obtained in the vicinity of Worthing (p. 8441), On 

 the 23rd of December, 1862, a fine old female, the plumage 

 a dark chocolate colour, was trapped in the grounds of 

 Battle Abbey; and in the same journal (p. 491) is found the 

 following from Mr. T. Parkin, of Halton, Hastings : — '' On 

 September 27, 1881, a Common Buz-zard was brought for 

 preservation to Mr. Bristow, of St. Leonards-on-Sea. It had 

 been shot the day before at the Grove, Hollington, not more 



c 



